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, ran to him, and fell down before him.
7
The man shouted in a loud voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I command you in God's name not to torture me!"
8
He said this because Jesus was saying to him, "You evil spirit, come out of the man."
9
Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He answered, "My name is Legion, because we are many spirits."
10
He begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of that area.
11
A large herd of pigs was feeding on a hill near there.
12
The demons begged Jesus, "Send us into 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 -- about two thousand of them -- rushed down the hill into the lake and were drowned.
14
The herdsmen ran away and 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 used to have the many evil spirits, sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. And they were frightened.