1100 Mark 5
Can demons really possess people ?
5:18 Demons are real , and they can control people ’ s lives and make them do evil things . We should have nothing to do with demons — even pretend demons shown in some movies . The movies people make about demons leave out one important fact : Even thousands of demons cannot stand against Jesus . Jesus protects us when we invite him into our lives .
Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man
port ed this in the town and coun try side , and the peo ple went out to see what had hap pened . 15 When they came to Jesus , they saw the man who had been pos sessed by the le gion of de mons , sit ting there , dressed and in his right mind ; and they were afraid . 16 Those who had seen it told the peo ple what had hap pened to the demon-pos sessed man — and told about the pigs as well . 17 Then the peo ple be gan to plead with Jesus to leave their re gion .
18 As Jesus was get ting into the boat ,
the man who had been de mon-pos sessed begged to go with him . 19 Jesus did not let him , but said , “ Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you , and how he has had mer cy on you .” 20 So the man went away and be gan to tell in the De cap o lis b how much Jesus had done for him . And all the peo ple were amazed .
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by
boat to the oth er side of the lake , a large crowd gath ered around him while he was by the lake . 22 Then one of the syn a gogue lead ers , named Ja i rus , came , and when he saw Jesus , he fell at his feet . 23 He plead ed ear nest ly with him , “ My lit tle daugh ter is dy ing . Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live .”
24 So Jesus went with him .
A large crowd fol lowed and pressed around him . 25 And a wom an was there who had been sub ject to bleed ing for twelve years . 26 She had suf fered a great deal un der the care of many doc tors and had spent all she had , yet in stead of get ting bet ter she grew worse . 27 When she heard about Jesus , she came up be hind him in the crowd and touched his cloak , 28 be cause she thought , “ If I just touch his clothes , I will be healed .” 29 Im me di ate ly her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suf fer ing .
30 At once Jesus re al ized that pow er had
gone out from him . He turned around in the crowd and asked , “ Who touched my clothes ?”
31 “ You see the peo ple crowd ing against
5
They went across the lake to the region of the Ger a senes . a 2 When Jesus got out of the boat , a man with an im pure spir it came from the tombs to meet him .
3 This man lived in the tombs , and no one
could bind him any more , not even with a chain . 4 For he had of ten been chained hand and foot , but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet . No one was strong enough to sub due him . 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut him self with stones .
6 When he saw Jesus from a dis tance ,
he ran and fell on his knees in front of him . 7 He shout ed at the top of his voice , “ What do you want with me , Jesus , Son of the Most High God ? In God ’ s name don ’ t tor ture me !” 8 For Jesus had said to him , “ Come out of this man , you im pure spir it !”
9 Then Jesus asked him , “ What is your
name ?”
“ My name is Le gion ,” he re plied , “ for we are many .” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area .
11 A large herd of pigs was feed ing on
the near by hill side . 12 The de mons begged Jesus , “ Send us among the pigs ; al low us to go into them .” 13 He gave them per mis sion , and the im pure spir its came out and went into the pigs . The herd , about two thousand in num ber , rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned .
14 Those tend ing the pigs ran off and rea 1 Some manuscripts Gadarenes ; other manuscripts Gergesenes b 20 That is , the Ten Cities