Matthew 8
Contemporary English Version
Jesus Heals a Man
(Mark 1.40-45; Luke 5.12-16)
8 As Jesus came down the mountain, he was followed by large crowds. 2 Suddenly a man with leprosy[a] came and knelt in front of Jesus. He said, “Lord, you have the power to make me well, if only you wanted to.”
3 Jesus put his hand on the man and said, “I want to! Now you are well.” At once the man's leprosy disappeared. 4 (A) Jesus told him, “Don't tell anyone about this, but go and show the priest that you are well. Then take a gift to the temple just as Moses commanded, and everyone will know that you have been healed.”[b]
Jesus Heals an Army Officer's Servant
(Luke 7.1-10; John 4.43-54)
5 When Jesus was going into the town of Capernaum, an army officer came up to him and said, 6 “Lord, my servant is at home in such terrible pain that he can't even move.”
7 “I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied.
8 But the officer said, “Lord, I'm not good enough for you to come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. 9 (B) I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you in all of Israel I've never found anyone with this much faith! 11 (C) Many people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 12 (D) But the ones who should have been in the kingdom will be thrown out into the dark. They will cry and grit their teeth in pain.”
13 Then Jesus said to the officer, “You may go home now. Your faith has made it happen.”
Right then his servant was healed.
Jesus Heals Many People
(Mark 1.29-34; Luke 4.38-41)
14 Jesus went to the home of Peter, where he found that Peter's mother-in-law was sick in bed with fever. 15 He took her by the hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and served Jesus a meal.
16 That evening many people with demons in them were brought to Jesus. And with only a word he forced out the evil spirits and healed everyone who was sick. 17 (E) So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said,
“He healed our diseases
and made us well.”
Some Who Wanted To Go with Jesus
(Luke 9.57-62)
18 When Jesus saw the crowd,[c] he went across Lake Galilee. 19 A teacher of the Law of Moses came up to him and said, “Teacher, I'll go anywhere with you!”
20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens, and birds have nests. But the Son of Man doesn't have a place to call his own.”
21 (F) Another disciple said to Jesus, “Lord, let me wait till I bury my father.”
22 Jesus answered, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.”[d]
A Storm
(Mark 4.35-41; Luke 8.22-25)
23 After Jesus left in a boat with his disciples, 24 a terrible storm suddenly struck the lake, and waves started splashing into their boat.
Jesus was sound asleep, 25 so the disciples went over to him and woke him up. They said, “Lord, wake up! Save us before we drown!”
26 But Jesus replied, “Why are you so afraid? You surely don't have much faith.” Then he got up and ordered the wind and the waves to calm down. And everything was calm.
27 The men in the boat were amazed and said, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him.”
Two Men with Demons in Them
(Mark 5.1-20; Luke 8.26-39)
28 After Jesus had crossed the lake, he came to shore near the town of Gadara[e] and started down the road. Two men with demons in them came to him from the tombs.[f] They were so fierce that no one could travel that way. 29 Suddenly they shouted, “Jesus, Son of God, what do you want with us? Have you come to punish us before our time?”
30 Not far from there a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 So the demons begged Jesus, “If you force us out, please send us into those pigs!” 32 Jesus told them to go, and they went out of the men and into the pigs. All at once the pigs rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
33 The people taking care of the pigs ran to the town and told everything, especially what had happened to the two men. 34 Everyone in town came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their part of the country.
Footnotes
- 8.2 leprosy: In biblical times the word “leprosy” was used for many different kinds of skin diseases.
- 8.4 everyone will know that you have been healed: People with leprosy had to be examined by a priest and told that they were well (that is “clean”) before they could once again live a normal life in the Jewish community. The gift that Moses commanded was the sacrifice of some lambs together with flour mixed with olive oil.
- 8.18 saw the crowd: Some manuscripts have “large crowd.” Others have “large crowds.”
- 8.22 let the dead bury their dead: For the Jewish people a proper burial of their dead was a very important duty. But Jesus teaches that following him is even more important.
- 8.28 Gadara: Some manuscripts have “Gergesa.” Others have “Gerasa.”
- 8.28 tombs: It was thought that demons and evil spirits lived in tombs and in caves that were used for burying the dead.
Matthew 8
Christian Standard Bible
A Man Cleansed
8 When he came down from the mountain, large crowds(A) followed him. 2 Right away(B) a man with leprosy[a] came up and knelt before him,(C) saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
3 Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 Then Jesus told him, “See that you don’t tell anyone;(D) but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”(E)
A Centurion’s Faith
5 When he entered Capernaum,(F) a centurion came to him, pleading with him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony.”
7 He said to him, “Am I to come and heal him?”[b]
8 “Lord,” the centurion replied, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.(G) 9 For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command.[c] I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
10 Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith. 11 I tell you that many will come from east and west to share the banquet[d] with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.(H) 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”(I) 13 Then Jesus told the centurion, “Go. As you have believed,(J) let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that very moment.[e]
Healings at Capernaum
14 Jesus went into Peter’s house(K) and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 So he touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began to serve him. 16 When evening came, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits(L) with a word and healed all who were sick,(M) 17 so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
The Cost of Following Jesus
18 When Jesus saw a large crowd[g](O) around him, he gave the order to go to the other side of the sea. 19 A scribe approached him and said,(P) “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(Q) has no place to lay his head.”
21 “Lord,” another of his disciples said, “first let me go bury my father.”
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Wind and Waves Obey Jesus
23 As he got into the boat,(R) his disciples(S) followed him. 24 Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves—but Jesus kept sleeping. 25 So the disciples came and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!”
26 He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea,(T) 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(U) him!”
Demons Driven Out by Jesus
28 When he had come to the other side,(V) to the region of the Gadarenes,[h] 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,[i] Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” (W)
30 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 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.(X)
Footnotes
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