The Healing of the Gergesene Demoniacs^(A)

²⁸ When He came to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two men possessed with demons, coming out of the tombs, extremely fierce, so that no one might pass by that way. ²⁹ Suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

³⁰ Now a good way off from them was a herd of many swine feeding. ³¹ So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”

³² He said to them, “Go!” And when they came out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. ³³ Those who kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told everything, including what had happened to those possessed by the demons. ³⁴ The whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart out of their region.

The Healing of the Gadarene Demoniac^(A)

²⁶ They sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is across from Galilee. ²⁷ When He stepped out on land, a man from the city who had demons for a long time met Him. He wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I plead with You, do not torment me.” ²⁹ For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. It often had seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles. But he broke the shackles and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.

³⁰ Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

He said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. ³¹ And they begged Him not to command them to go out into the abyss.

³² There was a large herd of swine feeding on the mountain. They begged Him to permit them to enter them, and He permitted them. ³³ Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

³⁴ When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and reported it in the city and in the country. ³⁵ Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind. And they were afraid. ³⁶ Those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed. ³⁷ Then the whole crowd from the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So He went into the boat and returned.

³⁸ Now the man from whom the demons had departed asked Him if he could stay with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” So he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.