8:1 After this Jesus went to all the cities and towns preaching and telling the Good News about the holy nation of God. The twelve followers were with Him.
8:2 Some women who had been healed of demons and diseases were with Him. Mary Magdalene, who had had seven demons put out of her, was one of them.
8:3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza who was one of Herod’s helpers, was another one. Susanna and many others also cared for Jesus by using what they had.
8:4 Many people came together from every town to Jesus. He told them a picture-story.
8:5 “A man went out to plant seed. As he planted the seed, some fell by the side of the road. It was walked on and birds came and ate it.
8:6 Some seed fell between rocks. As soon as it started to grow, it dried up because it had no water.
8:7 Some seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew and did not give the seed room to grow.
8:8 Some seed fell on good ground. It grew and gave one hundred times as much grain.” When Jesus had finished saying this, He cried out, “You have ears, then listen!”
8:9 His followers asked Him what this picture-story meant.
8:10 Jesus said, “You were given the secrets about the holy nation of God. Others are told picture-stories. As they look, they do not see. As they hear, they do not understand.
8:11 “This is what the picture-story means. The seed is the Word of God.
8:12 Those by the side of the road hear the Word. Then the devil comes and takes the Word from their hearts. He does not want them to believe and be saved from the punishment of sin.
8:13 Those which fell among rocks are those who when they hear the Word receive it with joy. These have no root. For awhile they believe, but when they are tempted they give up.
8:14 Those which fell among thorns hear the Word but go their own way. The cares of this life let the thorns grow. A love for money lets the thorns grow also. And the fun of this life lets the thorns grow. Their grain never becomes full-grown.
8:15 But those which fell on good ground have heard the Word. They keep it in a good and true heart and they keep on giving good grain.
8:16 “No man lights a lamp and puts it under a pail or under a bed. He puts it on a lamp-stand so all who come into the room may see it.
8:17 Nothing is secret but what will be known. Anything that is hidden will be brought into the light.
8:18 Be careful how you listen! Whoever has, to him will be given. Whoever does not have, even the little he has will be taken from him.”
8:19 The mother of Jesus and His brothers came to Him. They could not get near Him because of so many people.
8:20 Someone said to Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside. They want to see You.”
8:21 Jesus said to them, “My mother and brothers are these who hear the Word of God and do it.”
8:22 On one of those days Jesus and His followers got into a boat. Jesus said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” Then they pushed out into the water.
8:23 As they were going, Jesus fell asleep. A wind storm came over the lake. The boat was filling with water and they were in danger.
8:24 The followers came to awake Jesus. They said, “Teacher! Teacher! We are going to die!” Then Jesus got up and spoke sharp words to the wind and the high waves. The wind stopped blowing and there were no more waves.
8:25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” The followers were surprised and afraid. They said to each other, “What kind of a man is He? He speaks to the wind and the waves and they obey Him.”
8:26 They came to the land of the Gadarenes, which is on the other side of the country of Galilee.
8:27 As Jesus stepped out on land, a man met Him who had come from the city. This man had demons in him. For a long time he had worn no clothes. He did not live in a house, but lived among the graves.
8:28 When he saw Jesus, he got down before Him and cried with a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High? I beg of You not to hurt me!”
8:29 For Jesus had spoken to the demon to come out of the man. Many times the demon had taken hold of him. The man had to be tied with chains. But he would break the chains and be taken by the demon into the desert.
8:30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And the demon answered, “Many,” because many demons had gone into him.
8:31 The demons asked Jesus not to send them to the hole without a bottom in the earth.
8:32 There were many pigs feeding on the side of the mountain. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs. Jesus said they could.
8:33 The demons came out of the man and went into the pigs. Then the many pigs ran down the side of the mountain into the water and died.
8:34 The men who cared for the pigs ran fast and told what had happened in the town and in the country.
8:35 People came to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the man from whom the demons had been sent. He was sitting at the feet of Jesus with clothes on and had the right use of his mind. The people were afraid.
8:36 Those who had seen it told how the man who had had the demons was healed.
8:37 Then all the people of the country of the Gadarenes begged Jesus to go away from them. They were very much afraid. Jesus got into the boat and went back to the other side.
8:38 The man out of whom the demons had gone begged to go with Jesus. But Jesus sent him away and said,
8:39 “Go back to your house and tell everything God has done for you.” He went back and told all the people of the city what great things Jesus had done for him.
8:40 Many people were glad to see Jesus when He got back. They were waiting for Him.
8:41 A man named Jairus was a leader of the Jewish place of worship. As he came to Jesus, he got down at His feet. He asked Jesus if He would come to his house.
8:42 He had only one daughter and she was dying. This girl was about twelve years old. As Jesus went, the people pushed Him from every side.
8:43 A woman had been sick for twelve years with a flow of blood. (*She had spent all the money she had on doctors.) But she could not be healed by anyone.
8:44 She came behind Jesus and touched the bottom of His coat. At once the flow of blood stopped.
8:45 Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” Everyone said that they had not touched Him. Peter said, “Teacher, so many people are pushing You from every side and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”
8:46 Then Jesus said, “Someone touched Me because I know power has gone from Me.”
8:47 When the woman saw she could not hide it, she came shaking. She got down before Jesus. Then she told Jesus in front of all the people why she had touched Him. She told how she was healed at once.
8:48 Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
8:49 While Jesus was yet talking, a man came from the house of the leader of the place of worship. This man said to Jairus, “Your daughter is dead. Do not make the Teacher use anymore of His time.”
8:50 Jesus heard it and said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid, only believe. She will be made well.”
8:51 Jesus went into the house. He let only Peter and James and John and the father and mother of the girl go in with Him.
8:52 Everyone was crying and full of sorrow because of her. Jesus said, “Do not cry. She is not dead, but is sleeping.”
8:53 Then they laughed at Jesus because they knew she was dead.
8:54 Jesus sent them all out. He took the girl by the hand and said, “Child, get up!”
8:55 Her spirit came back and she got up at once. Jesus told them to bring her food.
8:56 Her parents were surprised and wondered about it. Then Jesus told them they should tell no one what had happened.
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