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The Gift New Testament

Truth Over Tradition

Jesus frees the man possessed by Legion

1 Then they arrived at the other side of the sea, in the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus disembarked, he was met right away by someone with an unclean spirit who came from the direction of the graveyard. 3 The graveyard was where he lived, and he could no longer be restrained, even with chains and ankle irons. 4 He was able to break them apart, and no one was strong enough to control him. 5 He stayed night and day among the tombs and mountains, screaming and pounding himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus in the distance, he ran and bowed before him 7 and shouted loudly, “What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Highest God? Swear by God that you won’t torture me!” 8 (He said this because Jesus had told the unclean spirit to get out of him.)

9 “What is your name?” Jesus asked.

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And they kept on begging him not to send them out of the area. 11 There was a large herd of hogs grazing near the mountain, 12 and they begged him, “Send us into the hogs so we can enter them!” 13 He granted permission, and the unclean spirits came out and then entered into the hogs. The whole herd stampeded over the cliff and into the sea; some two thousand of them were drowned. 14 Those who were herding them ran away and spread the news, and then people from all over the city and countryside came to see what had happened.

15 Then they all came to Jesus and saw the one who had been possessed by Legion sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 The ones who saw all this told them what had happened to the possessed person and the hogs. 17 So they started begging Jesus to leave their territory. 18 When he stepped into the boat, the one who had been possessed asked to go along. 19 But Jesus didn’t allow him: ”Go back to your home and your people, and report to them all that the Master has done and how he showed compassion to you.“ 20 So he went off to the Ten Cities and proclaimed all that Jesus had done, and they were amazed.

Jesus heals a woman and raises a girl from the dead

21 Jesus then took the boat back to the other side, and a large crowd gathered to him by the sea. 22 When one of the synagogue rulers by the name of Jairus saw him, he fell at his feet 23 and begged, “My daughter is about to die! Please come and touch her so that she may be restored and live.” 24 So he left with him, followed by a large crowd that pressed in on him from all sides.

25 Now there was a woman who had suffered from hemorrhaging for twelve years. 26 She had suffered much from many healers and spent everything she had, though none could cure her; in fact, she only got worse. 27 But when she heard about Jesus, she approached him from the crowd behind him and touched the hem of his cloak. 28 For she had said to herself, “If I can just touch his clothing, I will be healed.” 29 And right away the flow of blood stopped, and she could feel that he had healed her body of this scourge.

30 Jesus knew that power was going out of him, so he turned around to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31 “The crowd is pressing in all around you,” replied his disciples, “and you want to know who touched you?”

32 But he kept looking around to see who it was. 33 So the woman, shaking with fear because she knew what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.

34 “Daughter,” he said to her, “Your faith has restored you! Go in peace; be healed from your scourge.”

35 While he was still speaking, some from the synagogue ruler’s household came and said, “Your daughter has died; there is no further need to bother the teacher.” 36 But Jesus ignored the message and said to the synagogue ruler, “Do not fear; only believe.” 37 He wouldn’t let anyone else follow along except Peter, James, and James’ brother John.

38 When they arrived at the synagogue ruler’s house, he saw all the turmoil, wailing, and loud sobbing. 39 He came in and said to them, “Why all this fuss? Why are you crying? The little one is not dead but only sleeping!” 40 They laughed at him, but he made everyone leave the house except for the little one’s father and mother, and the ones who had come with him.

41 He took the little girl by the hand and said to her, “Talitha, koum!” (which means, “Young girl, I tell you to arise!”). 42 Right away he helped up the young girl and she walked around (she was about twelve years old)! They were all completely beside themselves and totally amazed. 43 But he cautioned them not to say anything about this, and he told them to give her something to eat.