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Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man
1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an
evil spirit 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, Jesus, Son of the Most
High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had
said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name
is Legion,” 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 evil 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 of demons, 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
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 how much Jesus had done for him. And all the
people were amazed.
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the
other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him
while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue
leaders, 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 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 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,
I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and
she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power 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. Go in peace and be freed from your
suffering.”
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came
from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your
daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher
anymore?”
36 Overhearing 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. 38 When they came to the home
of the synagogue leader, 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.” 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 and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”) 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, and told them to give her something to eat. |
Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
