1 S oon afterward, went on through towns and villages, preaching and bringing the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God. And the Twelve were with Him,

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.

2 A nd also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had been expelled;

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.

3 A nd Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager; and Susanna; and many others, who ministered to and provided for Him and them out of their property and personal belongings.

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. The Picture-Story of the Man Who Planted Seed

4 A nd when a very great throng was gathering together and people from town after town kept coming to Jesus, He said in a parable:

Many people came together from every town to Jesus. He told them a picture-story.

5 A sower went out to sow seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the traveled path and was trodden underfoot, and the birds of the air ate it up.

“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.

6 A nd some fell on the rock, and as soon as it sprouted, it withered away because it had no moisture.

Some seed fell between rocks. As soon as it started to grow, it dried up because it had no water.

7 A nd other fell in the midst of the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.

Some seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew and did not give the seed room to grow.

8 A nd some seed fell into good soil, and grew up and yielded a crop a hundred times. As He said these things, He called out, He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him consider and understand by hearing!

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!”

9 A nd when His disciples asked Him the meaning of this parable,

His followers asked Him what this picture-story meant.

10 H e said to them, To you it has been given to know (to recognize and understand more strongly and clearly) the mysteries and secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that, looking, they may not see; and hearing, they may not comprehend.

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. Jesus Tells about the Man Who Planted Seed

11 N ow the meaning of the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God.

“This is what the picture-story means. The seed is the Word of God.

12 T hose along the traveled road are the people who have heard; then the devil comes and carries away the message out of their hearts, that they may not believe ( acknowledge Me as their Savior and devote themselves to Me) and be saved.

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.

13 A nd those upon the rock who, when they hear, receive and welcome it with joy; but these have no root. They believe for a while, and in time of trial and temptation fall away (withdraw and stand aloof).

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.

14 A nd as for what fell among the thorns, these are who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked and suffocated with the anxieties and cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not ripen (come to maturity and perfection).

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.

15 B ut as for that in the good soil, these are who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in a just ( noble, virtuous) and worthy heart, and steadily bring forth fruit with patience.

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. The Picture-Story of the Lamp

16 N o one after he has lighted a lamp covers it with a vessel or puts it under a couch; but he puts it on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.

“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.

17 F or there is nothing hidden that shall not be disclosed, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come out into the open.

Nothing is secret but what will be known. Anything that is hidden will be brought into the light.

18 B e careful therefore how you listen. For to him who has will more be given; and from him who does not have, even what he thinks and guesses and supposes that he has will be taken away.

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.” The New Kind of Family

19 T hen Jesus’ mother and His brothers came along toward Him, but they could not get to Him because of the crowd.

The mother of Jesus and His brothers came to Him. They could not get near Him because of so many people.

20 A nd it was told Him, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to have an interview with You.

Someone said to Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside. They want to see You.”

21 B ut He answered them, My mother and My brothers are those who listen to the Word of God and do it!

Jesus said to them, “My mother and brothers are these who hear the Word of God and do it.” The Wind and Waves Obey Jesus

22 O ne of those days He and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, Let us go across to the other side of the lake. So they put out to sea.

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.

23 B ut as they were sailing, He fell off to sleep. And a whirlwind revolving from below upwards swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in great danger.

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.

24 A nd the disciples came and woke Him, saying, Master, Master, we are perishing! And He, being thoroughly awakened, censured and blamed and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; and they ceased, and there came a calm.

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.

25 A nd He said to them, Where is your faith (your trust, your confidence in Me—in My veracity and My integrity)? And they were seized with alarm and profound and reverent dread, and they marveled, saying to one another, Who then is this, that He commands even wind and sea, and they obey Him?

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.” Demons Ask Jesus to Let Them Live in Pigs

26 T hen they came to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.

They came to the land of the Gadarenes, which is on the other side of the country of Galilee.

27 N ow when Jesus stepped out on land, there met Him a certain man out of the town who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he lived not in a house but in the tombs.

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.

28 A nd when he saw Jesus, he raised a deep (terrible) cry and fell down before Him and shouted loudly, What have You with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? '> What have we in common?] I beg You, do not torment me!

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!”

29 F or Jesus was already commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For many times it had snatched and held him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and fetters, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilderness (desert).

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.

30 J esus then asked him, What is your name? And he answered, Legion; for many demons had entered him.

Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And the demon answered, “Many,” because many demons had gone into him.

31 A nd they begged not to command them to depart into the Abyss (bottomless pit).

The demons asked Jesus not to send them to the hole without a bottom in the earth.

32 N ow a great herd of swine was there feeding on the hillside; and begged Him to give them leave to enter these. And He allowed them.

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.

33 T hen the demons came out of the man and entered into the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep cliff into the lake and were drowned.

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.

34 W hen the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and told it in the town and in the country.

The men who cared for the pigs ran fast and told what had happened in the town and in the country.

35 A nd went out to see what had occurred, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right (sound) mind; and they were seized with alarm and fear.

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.

36 A nd those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was restored.

Those who had seen it told how the man who had had the demons was healed.

37 T hen all the people of the country surrounding the Gerasenes’ district asked to depart from them, for they were possessed and suffering with dread and terror; so He entered a boat and returned.

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.

38 B ut the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging and praying that he might accompany Him and be with Him, but sent him away, saying,

The man out of whom the demons had gone begged to go with Jesus. But Jesus sent him away and said,

39 R eturn to your home, and recount of how many and great things God has done for you. And departed, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

“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. Two Were Healed through Faith

40 N ow when Jesus came back, the crowd received and welcomed Him gladly, for they were all waiting and looking for Him.

Many people were glad to see Jesus when He got back. They were waiting for Him.

41 A nd there came a man named Jairus, who had '> long time] been a director of the synagogue; and falling at the feet of Jesus, he begged Him to come to his house,

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.

42 F or he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As went, the people pressed together around Him.

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.

43 A nd a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years and had spent all her living upon physicians, and could not be healed by anyone,

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.

44 C ame up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, and immediately her flow of blood ceased.

She came behind Jesus and touched the bottom of His coat. At once the flow of blood stopped.

45 A nd Jesus said, Who is it who touched Me? When all were denying it, Peter and those who were with him said, Master, the multitudes surround You and press You on every side!

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?’”

46 B ut Jesus said, Someone did touch Me; for I perceived that power has gone forth from Me.

Then Jesus said, “Someone touched Me because I know power has gone from Me.”

47 A nd when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came up trembling, and, falling down before Him, she declared in the presence of all the people for what reason she had touched Him and how she had been instantly cured.

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.

48 A nd He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your confidence and trust in Me) has made you well! Go (enter) into peace ( untroubled, undisturbed well-being).

Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

49 W hile He was still speaking, a man from the house of the director of the synagogue came and said, Your daughter is dead; do not weary and trouble the Teacher any further.

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.”

50 B ut Jesus, on hearing this, answered him, Do not be seized with alarm or struck with fear; simply believe '> in Me as able to do this], and she shall be made well.

Jesus heard it and said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid, only believe. She will be made well.”

51 A nd when He came to the house, He permitted no one to enter with Him except Peter and John and James, and the girl’s father and mother.

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.

52 A nd all were weeping for and bewailing her; but He said, Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.

Everyone was crying and full of sorrow because of her. Jesus said, “Do not cry. She is not dead, but is sleeping.”

53 A nd they laughed Him to scorn, knowing full well that she was dead.

Then they laughed at Jesus because they knew she was dead.

54 A nd grasping her hand, He called, saying, Child, arise '> from the sleep of death]!

Jesus sent them all out. He took the girl by the hand and said, “Child, get up!”

55 A nd her spirit returned '> from death], and she arose immediately; and He directed that she should be given something to eat.

Her spirit came back and she got up at once. Jesus told them to bring her food.

56 A nd her parents were amazed, but He charged them to tell no one what had occurred.

Her parents were surprised and wondered about it. Then Jesus told them they should tell no one what had happened.