1 Jesus and his followers went across the lake to the region of the Gerasene people.
2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man came to him from the caves where dead people were buried. This man, who lived in the caves, had an evil spirit living in him.
3 No one could tie him up, not even with a chain.
4 Many times people had used chains to tie the man’s hands and feet. But he always broke the chains off. No one was strong enough to control him.
5 Day and night he would wander around the burial caves and on the hills, screaming and cutting himself with stones.
6 While Jesus was still far away, the man saw him. He ran to Jesus and knelt down before him.
7-8 Jesus said to the man, “You evil spirit, come out of that man.”But the man shouted in a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, promise God that you will not punish me!”
9 Then Jesus asked the man, “What is your name?”The man answered, “My name is Legion, because I have many spirits in me.”
10 The man begged Jesus again and again not to send the spirits out of that area.
11 A large herd of pigs was eating on a hill near there.
12 The evil spirits begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs. Let us go into them.”
13 So Jesus allowed them to do this. The evil spirits left the man and went into the pigs. Then the herd of pigs rushed down the hill into the lake and were drowned. There were about 2,000 pigs in that herd.
14 The men who took care of the pigs ran away. They went to the town and to the countryside, telling everyone about this. So people went out to see what had happened.
15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who had had the many evil spirits. The man was sitting there, clothed and in his right mind. The people were frightened.
16 Some people were there who saw what Jesus had done. They told the others what had happened to the man who had the demons living in him. And they also told about the pigs.
17 Then the people began to beg Jesus to leave their area.
18 Jesus was getting ready to leave in the boat. The man who was freed from the demons begged to go with him.
19 But Jesus would not allow the man to go. Jesus said, “Go home to your family and friends. Tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.”
20 So the man left and told the people in the Ten Towns about the great things Jesus had done for him. All the people were amazed.
21 Jesus went in the boat back to the other side of the lake. There, a large crowd gathered around him.
22 A ruler from the synagogue, named Jairus, came to that place. Jairus saw Jesus and bowed before him.
23 The ruler begged Jesus again and again. He said, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her. Then she will be healed and will live.”
24 So Jesus went with the ruler, and many people followed Jesus. They were pushing very close around him.
25 A woman was there who had been bleeding for the past 12 years.
26 She had suffered very much. Many doctors had tried to help her. She had spent all the money she had, but she was not improving. She was getting worse.
27 When the woman heard about Jesus, she followed him with the people and touched his coat.
28 The woman thought, “If I can even touch his coat, that will be enough to heal me.”
29 When she touched his coat, her bleeding stopped. She could feel in her body that she was healed.
30 At once Jesus felt power go out from him. So he stopped and turned around. Then he asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 The followers said, “There are so many people pushing against you! And you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 But Jesus continued looking around to see who had touched him.
33 The woman knew that she was healed. So she came and bowed at Jesus’ feet. Shaking with fear, she told him the whole story.
34 Jesus said to the woman, “Dear woman, you are made well because you believed. Go in peace. You will have no more suffering.”
35 Jesus was still speaking to her when some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. The men said, “Your daughter is dead. There is now no need to bother the teacher.”
36 But Jesus paid no attention to what the men said. He said to the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; only believe.”
37 Jesus let only Peter, James, and John the brother of James go with him to Jairus’s house.
38 They came to the house of the synagogue ruler, and Jesus found many people there crying loudly. There was much confusion.
39 Jesus entered the house and said to the people, “Why are you crying and making so much noise? This child is not dead. She is only asleep.”
40 But they only laughed at Jesus. He told all the people to leave. Then he went into the room where the child was. He took the child’s father and mother and his three followers into the room with him.
41 Then he took hold of the girl’s hand and said to her, “Talitha, koum!” (This means, “Little girl, I tell you to stand up!”)
42 The girl stood right up and began walking. (She was 12 years old.) The father and mother and the followers were amazed.
43 Jesus gave the father and mother strict orders not to tell people about this. Then he told them to give the girl some food.