8
1 Soon
afterwards, he
went about through
cities and
villages, preaching
and bringing the
good news of
God’s Kingdom. With
him were the
twelve,
2 and
certain women who
had been healed
of evil spirits
and infirmities: Mary
who was called
Magdalene, from
whom seven demons
had gone out;
3 and
Joanna, the wife
of Chuzas, Herod’s
steward; Susanna;
and many others
who served them
from their
possessions.
4 When
a great multitude
came together and
people from every
city were coming
to him, he
spoke by a
parable:
5 “The farmer went
out to sow
his seed. As
he sowed, some
fell along the
road, and it
was trampled
under foot, and
the birds of
the sky devoured
it.
6 Other seed fell
on the rock,
and as soon
as it grew,
it withered away,
because it had
no moisture.
7 Other fell amid
the thorns, and
the thorns grew
with it
and choked it.
8 Other fell into
the good ground
and grew and
produced one
hundred times as
much fruit.”
As he said
these things, he
called out,
“He who has
ears to hear,
let him hear!”
9 Then
his disciples
asked him, “What
does this parable
mean?”
10 He
said,
“To you it
is given to
know the
mysteries of
God’s Kingdom, but
to the rest
it is given
in parables,
that ‘seeing they
may not see,
and hearing they
may not
understand.’
11 “Now the
parable is this:
The seed is
the word of
God.
12 Those along the
road are those
who hear; then
the devil comes
and takes away the
word from their
heart, that they
may not believe
and be saved.
13 Those on the
rock are they
who, when
they hear, receive
the word with
joy; but these
have no root.
They believe for
a while,
then fall away
in time of
temptation.
14 What fell among
the thorns, these
are those who
have heard, and
as they go
on their way
they are choked
with cares,
riches, and
pleasures of life;
and they bring
no fruit to
maturity.
15 Those in the
good ground,
these are those
who with an
honest and good
heart, having heard
the word, hold
it tightly, and produce
fruit with
perseverance.
16 “No one, when
he has lit a
lamp, covers it
with a container
or puts it
under a bed;
but puts it
on a stand, that
those who enter
in may see the
light.
17 For nothing is
hidden that will
not be revealed,
nor anything secret
that will not
be known and
come to light.
18 Be careful therefore
how you hear.
For whoever has,
to him will
be given; and
whoever doesn’t have,
from him will
be taken away even
that which he
thinks he
has.”
19 His
mother and brothers
came to him,
and they could
not come near
him for the
crowd.
20 Some
people told him, “Your
mother and
your brothers stand
outside, desiring
to see you.”
21 But
he answered them,
“My mother and
my brothers are
these who hear
the word of
God and do
it.”
22 Now
on one of
those days, he
entered into a
boat, himself and
his disciples, and
he said to
them,
“Let’s go over
to the other
side of the
lake.”
So they launched
out.
23 But
as they sailed,
he fell asleep.
A wind storm came
down on the
lake, and they
were taking on dangerous amounts
of water.
24 They
came to him
and awoke him,
saying, “Master,
Master, we
are dying!” He
awoke and rebuked
the wind and the
raging of the
water; then they
ceased, and it
was calm.
25 He
said to them,
“Where is your
faith?”
Being afraid, they
marveled, saying
to one another, “Who
is this then,
that he commands
even the winds and
the water, and
they obey him?”
26 Then
they arrived at
the country of
the Gadarenes, which
is opposite Galilee.
27 When
Jesus stepped ashore,
a certain man
out of the
city who had
demons for a
long time met
him. He wore
no clothes,
and didn’t 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
do I have
to do with
you, Jesus, you
Son of the
Most High God?
I beg you, don’t
torment me!”
29 For
Jesus was
commanding the unclean
spirit to come
out of the
man. For
the unclean spirit
had often seized
the man. He
was kept under
guard and bound
with chains and
fetters. Breaking the
bonds apart, he
was driven by
the demon into
the desert.
30 Jesus
asked him,
“What is your
name?”
He said, “Legion,”
for many demons
had entered into
him.
31 They
begged him that
he would not
command them to
go into the abyss.
32 Now
there was there
a herd of many
pigs feeding on
the mountain, and
they begged him
that he would
allow them to
enter into those.
Then he allowed
them.
33 The
demons came out
of the man
and entered into
the pigs, and
the herd rushed
down the steep
bank into the
lake and
were drowned.
34 When
those who fed
them saw what
had happened, they
fled and told it
in the city
and in the country.
35 People
went out to
see what had
happened. They
came to Jesus
and found the
man from whom
the demons had
gone out, sitting
at Jesus’ feet,
clothed and in
his right mind;
and they were
afraid.
36 Those
who saw it told
them how he
who had been possessed
by demons was
healed.
37 All
the people of
the surrounding
country of
the Gadarenes asked
him to depart from
them, for they
were very
much afraid. Then
he entered into
the boat and
returned.
38 But
the man from
whom the demons
had gone out
begged him that
he might go with
him, but Jesus sent
him away, saying,
39 “Return to your
house, and
declare what
great things God
has done for
you.”
He went his
way, proclaiming
throughout the
whole city what
great things Jesus
had done for
him.
40 When
Jesus returned,
the multitude welcomed
him, for they
were all waiting
for him.
41 Behold,
a man named
Jairus came. He
was a ruler of
the synagogue. He
fell down at
Jesus’ feet and
begged him to
come into his
house,
42 for
he had an
only born
daughter, about
twelve years of
age, and she
was dying. But as
he went, the
multitudes pressed
against him.
43 A
woman who had
a flow of blood
for twelve years,
who had spent
all her living on
physicians and
could not be
healed by any,
44 came
behind him
and touched the
fringe
of his cloak.
Immediately the flow
of her blood
stopped.
45 Jesus
said,
“Who touched me?”
When all denied
it, Peter and
those with him
said, “Master, the
multitudes press
and jostle you,
and you say,
‘Who touched me?’”
46 But
Jesus said,
“Someone did touch
me, for I
perceived that
power has gone
out of me.”
47 When
the woman saw
that she was
not hidden, she
came trembling;
and falling down
before him
declared to him
in the presence
of all the
people the reason
why she had touched
him, and how
she was healed
immediately.
48 He
said to her,
“Daughter, cheer up.
Your faith has
made you well.
Go in
peace.”
49 While
he still spoke,
one from the ruler
of the synagogue’s house
came, saying to
him, “Your
daughter is dead.
Don’t trouble the
Teacher.”
50 But
Jesus hearing it, answered
him,
“Don’t be
afraid. Only
believe, and she
will be
healed.”
51 When
he came to
the house,
he didn’t allow
anyone to enter
in, except Peter,
John, James, the
father of the
child, and her
mother.
52 All
were weeping and
mourning her, but
he said,
“Don’t weep.
She isn’t dead,
but sleeping.”
53 They
were ridiculing him,
knowing that she
was dead.
54 But
he put them
all outside, and
taking her by
the hand, he
called, saying,
“Child, arise!”
55 Her
spirit returned,
and she rose
up immediately. He
commanded that something
be given to
her to eat.
56 Her
parents were
amazed, but he
commanded them to
tell no one
what had been
done.