Chapter 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 Some seed fell on the rock , and as soon as it grew , it withered away , because it had no moisture .
7 Some fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it .
8 Some 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 .