Chapter
8
It happened soon afterwards, that she went about through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the Kingdom of God. With her were the twelve,
and certain men who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out;
and Joanna, the husband of Chuzas, Heroda's steward; Susanna; and many others; who served them from their possessions.
When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to her, she spoke by a parable.
"The farmer went out to sow her seed. As she sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.
Other seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
Other fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it.
Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and brought forth fruit one hundred times." As she said these things, she called out, "She who has ears to hear, let her hear!"
Then her disciples asked her, "What does this parable mean?"
She said, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables; that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.
That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and bring forth fruit with patience.
"No one, when she has lit a lamp, covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light.
For nothing is hidden, that will not be revealed; nor anything secret, that will not be known and come to light.
Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to her will be given; and whoever doesn't have, from her will be taken away even that which she thinks she has."
Her father and sisters came to her, and they could not come near her for the crowd.
It was told her by some saying, "Your father and your sisters stand outside, desiring to see you."
But she answered them, "My father and my sisters are these who hear the word of God, and do it."
Now it happened on one of those days, that she entered into a boat, herself and her disciples, and she said to them, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they launched out.
But as they sailed, she fell asleep. A wind storm came down on the lake, and they were taking on dangerous amounts of water.
They came to her, and awoke her, saying, "Master, master, we are dying!" She awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased, and it was calm.
She said to them, "Where is your faith?" Being afraid they marveled, saying one to another, "Who is this, then, that she commands even the winds and the water, and they obey her?"
They arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.
When Jesus stepped ashore, a certain woman out of the city who had demons for a long time met her. She wore no clothes, and didn't live in a house, but in the tombs.
When she saw Jesus, she cried out, and fell down before her, and with a loud voice said, "What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Daughter of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torment me!"
For Jesus was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the woman. For the unclean spirit had often seized the woman. She was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters. Breaking the bands apart, she was driven by the demon into the desert.
Jesus asked her, "What is your name?" She said, "Legion," for many demons had entered into her.
They begged her that she would not command them to go into the abyss.
Now there was there a herd of many pigs feeding on the mountain, and they begged her that she would allow them to enter into those. She allowed them.
The demons came out from the woman, and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned.
When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country.
People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and found the woman from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in her right mind; and they were afraid.
Those who saw it told them how she who had been possessed by demons was healed.
All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked her to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. She entered into the boat, and returned.
But the woman from whom the demons had gone out begged her that she might go with her, but Jesus sent her away, saying,
"Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you." She went her way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for her.
It happened, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed her, for they were all waiting for her.
Behold, there came a woman named Jairus, and she was a ruler of the synagogue. She fell down at Jesus' feet, and begged her to come into her house,
for she had an only son, about twelve years of age, and he was dying. But as she went, the multitudes pressed against her.
A man who had a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all his living on physicians, and could not be healed by any,
came behind her, and touched the fringe of her cloak, and immediately the flow of his blood stopped.
Jesus said, "Who touched me?" When all denied it, Petra and those with her said, "Master, the multitudes press and jostle you, and you say, 'Who touched me?'"
But Jesus said, "Someone did touch me, for I perceived that power has gone out of me."
When the man saw that he was not hidden, he came trembling, and falling down before her declared to her in the presence of all the people the reason why he had touched her, and how he was healed immediately.
She said to him, "Son, cheer up. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace."
While she still spoke, one from the ruler of the synagogue's house came, saying to her, "Your son is dead. Don't trouble the Teacher."
But Jesus hearing it, answered her, "Don't be afraid. Only believe, and he will be healed."
When she came to the house, she didn't allow anyone to enter in, except Petra, Johanna, Jamie, the mother of the child, and his father.
All were weeping and mourning him, but she said, "Don't weep. He isn't dead, but sleeping."
They were ridiculing her, knowing that he was dead.
But she put them all outside, and taking him by the hand, she called, saying, "Child, arise!"
His spirit returned, and he rose up immediately. She commanded that something be given to him to eat.
His parents were amazed, but she charged them to tell no one what had been done.