New Testament in a Year

Chapter 5

Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac.^{[a] 1} They reached the region of the Gerasenes^[b] on the other side of the lake. ² No sooner had he stepped out of the boat than a man with an unclean spirit came up to him from the tombs.^{[c] 3} The man had been living in the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, not even with chains. ⁴ For he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but he had snapped the chains and smashed the shackles to pieces, and no one had sufficient strength to subdue him. ⁵ Day and night among the tombs and on the mountains, he would howl and gash himself with stones.

⁶ When the man caught sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, ⁷ as he shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you in God’s name: do not torment me!” ⁸ For Jesus had said to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!” ⁹ Then he asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for there are many of us.”^{[d] 10} And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.

¹¹ Now on the mountainside a great herd of pigs was feeding. ¹² And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the pigs. Let us enter them.” ¹³ He allowed this. With that, the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs, and the herd, numbering about two thousand, charged down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned in the waters.

¹⁴ Those tending the pigs ran off and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. As a result, people came out to see what had happened. ¹⁵ When they came near Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by Legion sitting there fully clothed and in his right mind, and they were frightened. ¹⁶ Those who had been eyewitnesses to the incident confirmed what had happened to the demoniac and what had happened to the pigs. ¹⁷ Then they began to implore Jesus to leave their region.

¹⁸ As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons pleaded to be allowed to go with him. ¹⁹ However, Jesus would not permit him to do so, and instead told him, “Go home to your own people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” ²⁰ The man then departed and began to make known throughout the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.^[e]