Matthew 8:18-34

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Following Jesus

¹⁸ When Jesus saw large crowds^[a](A) around Him, He gave the order to go to the other side of the sea.^{[b] 19} A scribe approached Him and said,^(B) “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go!”

²⁰ Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man^(C) has no place to lay His head.”

²¹ “Lord,” another of His disciples said, “first let me go bury my father.”^[c]

²² But Jesus told him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Wind and Wave Obey the Master

²³ As He got into the^[d] boat,^(D) His disciples^(E) followed Him. ²⁴ Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But He was sleeping. ²⁵ So the disciples came and woke Him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!”

²⁶ But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, you of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea.^(F) And there was a great calm.

²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this?—even the winds and the sea obey^(G) Him!”

Demons Driven Out by the Master

²⁸ When He had come to the other side,^(H) to the region of the Gadarenes,^[e] two demon-possessed men met Him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ Suddenly they shouted, “What do You have to do with us,^[f][g] Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”^(I)

³⁰ Now a long way off from them, a large herd of pigs was feeding. ³¹ “If You drive us out,” the demons begged Him, “send us into the herd of pigs.”

³² “Go!” He told them. So when they had come out, they entered the pigs. And suddenly the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. ³³ Then the men who tended them fled. They went into the city and reported everything—especially what had happened to those who were demon-possessed. ³⁴ At that, the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.^(J)