1Soon afterward, he was traveling through city and village, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God, and the twelve were with him,
2and also certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
3and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many other women, who were providing for them from their possessions.
4And when a large crowd was gathering and people from town after town were coming to him, he spoke in a parable:
5“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he was sowing, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.
6And other seed fell on the rock, and when it grew, it withered because it had no moisture.
7And other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.
8And other seed fell into the good soil, and when it grew, it produced a crop a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
9And his disciples began asking him what this parable meant.
10And he said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so 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.
12The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
13The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in a time of testing they fall away.
14As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
15But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, hearing the word, hold it fast in a noble and good heart, and bear fruit with perseverance.
16“No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.
17For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
18Therefore take care how you hear; for whoever has, to him it will be given, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.
19Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not get to him because of the crowd.
20And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”
21But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
22One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they set sail.
23And as they were sailing, he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were being swamped and were in danger.
24And they came and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. They subsided, and there was a calm.
25He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”
26Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.
27When he stepped out on the land, a certain man from the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not stay in a house but in the tombs.
28When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.”
29For Jesus had been commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into desolate places.
30Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him.
31And they were begging him not to command them to go away into the abyss.
32Now a large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the mountain. And they begged him to permit them to enter into those pigs, and he permitted them.
33Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
34When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and reported it in the city and in the countryside.
35So the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and 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 afraid.
36Those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed.
37Then the whole crowd from the surrounding region of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into a boat and returned.
38The man from whom the demons had gone out was begging to be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,
39“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
40Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.
41And behold, a man named Jairus came; he was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he began to beg him to come to his house,
42for he had a one and only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the crowds were pressing in on him.
43And a woman who had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who could not be healed by anyone—
44came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood stopped.
45And Jesus said, “Who touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in.”
46But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceived that power has gone out from me.”
47Then the woman, seeing that she had not escaped notice, came trembling and fell down before him. She declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him and how she was healed immediately.
48And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
49While he was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue ruler, saying, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any longer.”
50But Jesus, hearing this, answered him, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.”
51And when he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him except Peter and John and James, and the child’s father and mother.
52And all were weeping and mourning for her. But he said, “Do not weep; she has not died but is sleeping.”
53And they ridiculed him, knowing that she had died.
54But he took her by the hand and called out, saying, “Child, arise.”
55And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that she be given something to eat.
56And her parents were amazed, but he instructed them to tell no one what had happened.
Open in the interactive reader →