Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man^(A)(B)

5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.^{[a] 2} When Jesus got out of the boat,^(C) a man with an impure spirit^(D) came from the tombs to meet him. ³ This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. ⁴ For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵ Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

⁶ When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷ He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me,^(E) Jesus, Son of the Most High God?^(F) In God’s name don’t torture me!” ⁸ For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

⁹ Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,”^(G) he replied, “for we are many.” ¹⁰ And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

¹¹ A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹² The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” ¹³ He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

¹⁴ Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵ When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion^(H) of demons,^(I) sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ¹⁶ Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. ¹⁷ Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

¹⁸ As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. ¹⁹ Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them^(J) how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” ²⁰ So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis^[b](K) how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman^(L)

²¹ When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake,^(M) a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.^{(N) 22} Then one of the synagogue leaders,^(O) named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. ²³ He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on^(P) her so that she will be healed and live.” ²⁴ So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. ²⁵ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding^(Q) for twelve years. ²⁶ She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. ²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸ because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes,^(R) I will be healed.” ²⁹ Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.^(S)

³⁰ At once Jesus realized that power^(T) had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

³¹ “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

³² But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. ³³ Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. ³⁴ He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.^(U) Go in peace^(V) and be freed from your suffering.”

³⁵ While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader.^(W) “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

³⁶ Overhearing^[c] what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

³⁷ He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.^{(X) 38} When they came to the home of the synagogue leader,^(Y) Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. ³⁹ He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”^{(Z) 40} But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. ⁴¹ He took her by the hand^(AA) and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).^{(AB) 42} Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. ⁴³ He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this,^(AC) and told them to give her something to eat.

Abram and Lot Separate

13 So Abram went up from Egypt^(A) to the Negev,^(B) with his wife and everything he had, and Lot^(C) went with him. ² Abram had become very wealthy^(D) in livestock^(E) and in silver and gold.

³ From the Negev^(F) he went from place to place until he came to Bethel,^(G) to the place between Bethel and Ai^(H) where his tent had been earlier ⁴ and where he had first built an altar.^(I) There Abram called on the name of the Lord.^(J)

⁵ Now Lot,^(K) who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. ⁶ But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.^{(L) 7} And quarreling^(M) arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites^(N) and Perizzites^(O) were also living in the land^(P) at that time.

⁸ So Abram said to Lot,^(Q) “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me,^(R) or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives.^{(S) 9} Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”^(T)

¹⁰ Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain^(U) of the Jordan toward Zoar^(V) was well watered, like the garden of the Lord,^(W) like the land of Egypt.^(X) (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom^(Y) and Gomorrah.)^{(Z) 11} So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan,^(AA) while Lot^(AB) lived among the cities of the plain^(AC) and pitched his tents near Sodom.^{(AD) 13} Now the people of Sodom^(AE) were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.^(AF)

¹⁴ The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west.^{(AG) 15} All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring^[a] forever.^{(AH) 16} I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.^{(AI) 17} Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land,^(AJ) for I am giving it to you.”^(AK)

¹⁸ So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre^(AL) at Hebron,^(AM) where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.^(AN)

Abram Rescues Lot

14 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar,^[b](AO) Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer^(AP) king of Elam^(AQ) and Tidal king of Goyim, ² these kings went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim,^(AR) and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).^{(AS) 3} All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim^(AT) (that is, the Dead Sea Valley^(AU)). ⁴ For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer,^(AV) but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

⁵ In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer^(AW) and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites^(AX) in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites^(AY) in Shaveh Kiriathaim ⁶ and the Horites^(AZ) in the hill country of Seir,^(BA) as far as El Paran^(BB) near the desert. ⁷ Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh),^(BC) and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites,^(BD) as well as the Amorites^(BE) who were living in Hazezon Tamar.^(BF)

⁸ Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah,^(BG) the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim^(BH) and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar)^(BI) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim^{(BJ) 9} against Kedorlaomer^(BK) king of Elam,^(BL) Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Valley of Siddim^(BM) was full of tar^(BN) pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah^(BO) fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills.^{(BP) 11} The four kings seized all the goods^(BQ) of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. ¹² They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot^(BR) and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

¹³ A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew.^(BS) Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre^(BT) the Amorite, a brother^[c] of Eshkol^(BU) and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. ¹⁴ When Abram heard that his relative^(BV) had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained^(BW) men born in his household^(BX) and went in pursuit as far as Dan.^{(BY) 15} During the night Abram divided his men^(BZ) to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.^{(CA) 16} He recovered^(CB) all the goods^(CC) and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

¹⁷ After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer^(CD) and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom^(CE) came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).^(CF)

¹⁸ Then Melchizedek^(CG) king of Salem^(CH) brought out bread^(CI) and wine.^(CJ) He was priest of God Most High,^{(CK) 19} and he blessed Abram,^(CL) saying,

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.^(CP)

²¹ The king of Sodom^(CQ) said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods^(CR) for yourself.”

²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom,^(CS) “With raised hand^(CT) I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High,^(CU) Creator of heaven and earth,^{(CV) 23} that I will accept nothing belonging to you,^(CW) not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ ²⁴ I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre.^(CX) Let them have their share.”

The Lord’s Covenant With Abram

15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram^(CY) in a vision:^(CZ)

² But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,^(DD) what can you give me since I remain childless^(DE) and the one who will inherit^[f] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?^(DF)” ³ And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant^(DG) in my household^(DH) will be my heir.”

⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.^(DI)” ⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars^(DJ)—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring^[g] be.”^(DK)

⁶ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.^(DL)

⁷ He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out^(DM) of Ur of the Chaldeans^(DN) to give you this land to take possession of it.”^(DO)

⁸ But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,^(DP) how can I know^(DQ) that I will gain possession of it?”^(DR)

⁹ So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer,^(DS) a goat and a ram, each three years old,^(DT) along with a dove and a young pigeon.^(DU)”

¹⁰ Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other;^(DV) the birds, however, he did not cut in half.^{(DW) 11} Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses,^(DX) but Abram drove them away.

¹² As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep,^(DY) and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. ¹³ Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years^(DZ) your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved^(EA) and mistreated there. ¹⁴ But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out^(EB) with great possessions.^{(EC) 15} You, however, will go to your ancestors^(ED) in peace and be buried at a good old age.^{(EE) 16} In the fourth generation^(EF) your descendants will come back here,^(EG) for the sin of the Amorites^(EH) has not yet reached its full measure.”

¹⁷ When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch^(EI) appeared and passed between the pieces.^{(EJ) 18} On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram^(EK) and said, “To your descendants I give this land,^(EL) from the Wadi^[h] of Egypt^(EM) to the great river, the Euphrates^(EN)— ¹⁹ the land of the Kenites,^(EO) Kenizzites, Kadmonites, ²⁰ Hittites,^(EP) Perizzites,^(EQ) Rephaites,^{(ER) 21} Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”^(ES)

Hagar and Ishmael

16 Now Sarai,^(ET) Abram’s wife, had borne him no children.^(EU) But she had an Egyptian slave^(EV) named Hagar;^{(EW) 2} so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children.^(EX) Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”^(EY)

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. ³ So after Abram had been living in Canaan^(EZ) ten years,^(FA) Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. ⁴ He slept with Hagar,^(FB) and she conceived.

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.^{(FC) 5} Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”^(FD)

⁶ “Your slave is in your hands,^(FE)” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated^(FF) Hagar; so she fled from her.

⁷ The angel of the Lord^(FG) found Hagar near a spring^(FH) in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.^{(FI) 8} And he said, “Hagar,^(FJ) slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”^(FK)

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

⁹ Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” ¹⁰ The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”^(FL)

¹¹ The angel of the Lord^(FM) also said to her:

¹³ She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,^(FT)” for she said, “I have now seen^[k] the One who sees me.”^{(FU) 14} That is why the well^(FV) was called Beer Lahai Roi^[l];^(FW) it is still there, between Kadesh^(FX) and Bered.

¹⁵ So Hagar^(FY) bore Abram a son,^(FZ) and Abram gave the name Ishmael^(GA) to the son she had borne. ¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old^(GB) when Hagar bore him Ishmael.