26
Jesus and his disciples sailed on over to the territory of Gerasa, which is across the lake from Galilee.
27
As Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a man from the town who had demons in him. For a long time this man had gone without clothes and would not stay at home, but spent his time in the burial caves.
28
When he saw Jesus, he gave a loud cry, threw himself down at his feet, and shouted, "Jesus, Son of the Most High God! What do you want with me? I beg you, don't punish me!"
29
He said this because Jesus had ordered the evil spirit to go out of him. Many times it had seized him, and even though he was kept a prisoner, his hands and feet tied with chains, he would break the chains and be driven by the demon out into the desert.
30
Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is "Mob,' " he answered - because many demons had gone into him.
31
The demons begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss.
32
There was a large herd of pigs near by, feeding on a hillside. So the demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he let them.
33
They went out of the man and into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the side of the cliff into the lake and was drowned.
34
The men who had been taking care of the pigs saw what happened, so they ran off and spread the news in the town and among the farms.
35
People went out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were all afraid.
36
Those who had seen it told the people how the man had been cured.
37
Then all the people from that territory asked Jesus to go away, because they were terribly afraid. So Jesus got into the boat and left.
38
The man from whom the demons had gone out begged Jesus, "Let me go with you." But Jesus sent him away, saying,
39
"Go back home and tell what God has done for you." The man went through the town, telling what Jesus had done for him.
40
When Jesus returned to the other side of the lake, the people welcomed him, because they had all been waiting for him.
41
Then a man named Jairus arrived; he was an official in the local synagogue. He threw himself down at Jesus' feet and begged him to go to his home,
42
because his only daughter, who was twelve years old, was dying. As Jesus went along, the people were crowding him from every side.
43
Among them was a woman who had suffered from severe bleeding for twelve years; she had spent all she had on doctors, but no one had been able to cure her.
44
She came up in the crowd behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once.
45
Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" Everyone denied it, and Peter said, "Master, the people are all around you and crowding in on you."
46
But Jesus said, "Someone touched me, for I knew it when power went out of me."
47
The woman saw that she had been found out, so she came trembling and threw herself at Jesus' feet. There in front of everybody, she told him why she had touched him and how she had been healed at once.
48
Jesus said to her, "My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace."
49
While Jesus was saying this, a messenger came from the official's house. "Your daughter has died," he told Jairus; "don't bother the Teacher any longer."
50
But Jesus heard it and said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; only believe, and she will be well."
51
When he arrived at the house, he would not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the child's father and mother.
52
Everyone there was crying and mourning for the child. Jesus said, "Don't cry; the child is not dead - she is only sleeping!"
53
They all made fun of him, because they knew that she was dead.
54
But Jesus took her by the hand and called out, "Get up, child!"
55
Her life returned, and she got up at once, and Jesus ordered them to give her something to eat.
56
Her parents were astounded, but Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what had happened.