8:9 Then 12 his disciples asked him what this parable meant. 13 8:10 He 14 said, “You have been given 15 the opportunity to know 16 the secrets 17 of the kingdom of God, 18 but for others they are in parables, so that although they see they may not see, and although they hear they may not understand. 19
8:11 “Now the parable means 20 this: The seed is the word of God. 8:12 Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil 21 comes and takes away the word 22 from their hearts, so that they may not believe 23 and be saved. 8:13 Those 24 on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, 25 but 26 in a time of testing 27 fall away. 28 8:14 As for the seed that 29 fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but 30 as they go on their way they are choked 31 by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, 32 and their fruit does not mature. 33 8:15 But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing 34 the word, cling to it 35 with an honest and good 36 heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance. 37
8:16 “No one lights 38 a lamp 39 and then covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in can see the light. 40 8:17 For nothing is hidden 41 that will not be revealed, 42 and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light. 8:18 So listen carefully, 43 for whoever has will be given more, but 44 whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has 45 will be taken from him.”
8:19 Now Jesus’ 46 mother and his brothers 47 came to him, but 48 they could not get near him because of the crowd. 8:20 So 49 he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” 8:21 But he replied 50 to them, “My mother and my brothers are those 51 who hear the word of God and do it.” 52
8:22 One 53 day Jesus 54 got into a boat 55 with his disciples and said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.” So 56 they set out, 8:23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. Now a violent windstorm 57 came down on the lake, 58 and the boat 59 started filling up with water, and they were in danger. 8:24 They 60 came 61 and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, 62 we are about to die!” So 63 he got up and rebuked 64 the wind and the raging waves; 65 they died down, and it was calm. 8:25 Then 66 he said to them, “Where is your faith?” 67 But they were afraid and amazed, 68 saying to one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water, 69 and they obey him!”
8:26 So 70 they sailed over to the region of the Gerasenes, 71 which is opposite 72 Galilee. 8:27 As 73 Jesus 74 stepped ashore, 75 a certain man from the town 76 met him who was possessed by demons. 77 For a long time this man 78 had worn no clothes and had not lived in a house, but among 79 the tombs. 8:28 When he saw 80 Jesus, he cried out, fell 81 down before him, and shouted with a loud voice, “Leave me alone, 82 Jesus, Son of the Most High 83 God! I beg you, do not torment 84 me!” 8:29 For Jesus 85 had started commanding 86 the evil 87 spirit to come out of the man. (For it had seized him many times, so 88 he would be bound with chains and shackles 89 and kept under guard. But 90 he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted 91 places.) 92 8:30 Jesus then 93 asked him, “What is your name?” He 94 said, “Legion,” 95 because many demons had entered him. 8:31 And they began to beg 96 him not to order 97 them to depart into the abyss. 98 8:32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 99 and the demonic spirits 100 begged Jesus 101 to let them go into them. He gave them permission. 102 8:33 So 103 the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd of pigs 104 rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned. 8:34 When 105 the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran off and spread the news 106 in the town 107 and countryside. 8:35 So 108 the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They 109 found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 8:36 Those 110 who had seen it told them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed. 111 8:37 Then 112 all the people of the Gerasenes 113 and the surrounding region 114 asked Jesus 115 to leave them alone, 116 for they were seized with great fear. 117 So 118 he got into the boat and left. 119 8:38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go 120 with him, but Jesus 121 sent him away, saying, 8:39 “Return to your home, 122 and declare 123 what God has done for you.” 124 So 125 he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole town 126 what Jesus 127 had done for him.
8:40 Now when Jesus returned, 128 the crowd welcomed him, because they were all waiting for him. 8:41 Then 129 a man named Jairus, who was a ruler 130 of the synagogue, 131 came up. Falling 132 at Jesus’ feet, he pleaded 133 with him to come to his house, 8:42 because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. 134
As Jesus was on his way, the crowds pressed 135 around him. 8:43 Now 136 a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage 137 for twelve years 138 but could not be healed by anyone. 8:44 She 139 came up behind Jesus 140 and touched the edge 141 of his cloak, 142 and at once the bleeding 143 stopped. 8:45 Then 144 Jesus asked, 145 “Who was it who touched me?” When they all denied it, Peter 146 said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing 147 against you!” 8:46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I know that power has gone out 148 from me.” 8:47 When 149 the woman saw that she could not escape notice, 150 she came trembling and fell down before him. In 151 the presence of all the people, she explained why 152 she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. 8:48 Then 153 he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. 154 Go in peace.”
8:49 While he was still speaking, someone from the synagogue ruler’s 155 house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.” 8:50 But when Jesus heard this, he told 156 him, “Do not be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” 157 8:51 Now when he came to the house, Jesus 158 did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, 159 and James, and the child’s father and mother. 8:52 Now they were all 160 wailing and mourning 161 for her, but he said, “Stop your weeping; she is not dead but asleep.” 8:53 And they began making fun 162 of him, because they knew 163 that she was dead. 164 8:54 But Jesus 165 gently took her by the hand and said, 166 “Child, get up.” 8:55 Her 167 spirit returned, 168 and she got up immediately. Then 169 he told them to give her something to eat. 8:56 Her 170 parents were astonished, but he ordered them to tell no one 171 what had happened.