Luke 8
1 After this, Jesus went from town to town and village to village, proclaiming and announcing the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,
2 along with some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, Susanna, and many others, who provided for them from their own means.
4 As a large crowd gathered, and people came to him from town after town, Jesus said in a parable:
5 “The sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell beside the road; it was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it.
6 Some fell on the rock; it sprouted and dried up because it had no moisture.
7 Some fell among the thorns; the thorns grew up with it and choked it.
8 And some fell on good soil; it sprouted and produced a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “Anyone who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant.
10 He said, “You have been given the knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God; but for the others, they are given in parables, so that though they see, they may not see, and though they hear, they may not understand.
11 This is what the parable means: the seed is the word of God.
12 Those beside the road are the ones who have heard; then the Devil comes and takes the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
13 Those 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, and in a time of testing they fall away.
14 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who have heard, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and they do not bring their fruit to maturity.
15 The seed in the good soil represents those who, with an honest and good heart, hear the word, hold on to it, and bear fruit with perseverance.
16 No one lights a lamp and covers it with a bowl or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light.
17 For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be known and brought into the open.
18 So pay attention to how you hear. For whoever has will be given more, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”
19 Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd.
20 He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and want to see you.”
21 He answered them, “My mother and my brothers are these: those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”
22 One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they set out.
23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. Then a windstorm swept down on the lake; the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger.
24 They came and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to die!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging water. They stopped, and there was a calm.
25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” Filled with fear, they were amazed and said to one another, “Who is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”
26 Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which lies across from Galilee.
27 When Jesus stepped ashore, a man from the town who had demons came to meet him. For a long time he had worn no clothes and had not lived in a house, but among the tombs.
28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and shouted, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.”
29 For Jesus was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. The spirit had seized him many times. He was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles, but he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the wild places.
30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He answered, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him.
31 And the demons begged him not to command them to go into the abyss.
32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them enter the pigs, and he let them.
33 The demons came out of the man and entered the pigs; the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
34 When the men tending the pigs saw what had happened, they fled and reported it in the town and the countryside.
35 Then people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
36 Those who had seen it told them how the man who had been possessed by demons had been healed.
37 Then all the people of the Gerasene region asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with great fear. He got into the boat and returned.
38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged Jesus to let him stay with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying:
39 “Return to your home and tell all that God has done for you.” So he went through the whole town proclaiming all that Jesus had done for him.
40 When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, because they were all waiting for him.
41 Then a man named Jairus arrived. He was a synagogue leader. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house,
42 because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the crowds pressed in on him.
43 There was a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years and had been unable to be healed by anyone.
44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, and at once her bleeding stopped.
45 Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When everyone denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are pressing in and squeezing you.”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, because I knew that power had gone out from me.”
47 Seeing that she had not gone unnoticed, the woman came trembling and fell down before him. In front of all the people, she explained why she had touched him and how she had been healed at once.
48 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you; go in peace.”
49 While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter has died; don’t bother the Teacher anymore.”
50 Jesus heard this and answered him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be saved.”
51 When he arrived at the house, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the girl’s father and mother.
52 Everyone was weeping and mourning for her. But he said, “Stop weeping; she has not died, but is sleeping.”
53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she had died.
54 But he took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up.”
55 Her spirit returned, and she got up at once; and Jesus ordered that she be given something to eat.
56 Her parents were beside themselves, but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.
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