Luke 8
8
The Group with Jesus
1After this, while Jesus was traveling through some cities and small towns, he preached and told the Good News about God’s kingdom. The twelve apostles were with him, 2and also some women who had been healed of sicknesses and evil spirits: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; 3Joanna, the wife of Cuza (the manager of Herod’s house); Susanna; and many others. These women used their own money to help Jesus and his apostles.
A Story About Planting Seed
4When a great crowd was gathered, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, he told them this story:
5“A farmer went out to plant his seed. While he was planting, some seed fell by the road. People walked on the seed, and the birds ate it up. 6Some seed fell on rock, and when it began to grow, it died because it had no water. 7Some seed fell among thorny weeds, but the weeds grew up with it and choked the good plants. 8And some seed fell on good ground and grew and made a hundred times more.”
As Jesus finished the story, he called out, “Let those with ears use them and listen!”
9Jesus’ followers asked him what this story meant.
10Jesus said, “You have been chosen to know the secrets about the kingdom of God. But I use stories to speak to other people so that:
‘They will look, but they may not see.
They will listen, but they may not understand.’#Isaiah 6:9
11“This is what the story means: The seed is God’s message. 12The seed that fell beside the road is like the people who hear God’s teaching, but the devil comes and takes it away from them so they cannot believe it and be saved. 13The seed that fell on rock is like those who hear God’s teaching and accept it gladly, but they don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives. They believe for a while, but when trouble comes, they give up. 14The seed that fell among the thorny weeds is like those who hear God’s teaching, but they let the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life keep them from growing and producing good fruit. 15And the seed that fell on the good ground is like those who hear God’s teaching with good, honest hearts and obey it and patiently produce good fruit.
Use What You Have
16“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. Instead, the person puts it on a lampstand so those who come in will see the light. 17Everything that is hidden will become clear, and every secret thing will be made known. 18So be careful how you listen. Those who have understanding will be given more. But those who do not have understanding, even what they think they have will be taken away from them.”
Jesus’ True Family
19Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but there was such a crowd they could not get to him. 20Someone said to Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”
21Jesus answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who listen to God’s teaching and obey it!”
Jesus Calms a Storm
22One day Jesus and his followers got into a boat, and he said to them, “Let’s go across the lake.” And so they started across. 23While they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A very strong wind blew up on the lake, causing the boat to fill with water, and they were in danger.
24The followers went to Jesus and woke him, saying, “Master! Master! We will drown!”
Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and the waves. They stopped, and it became calm. 25Jesus said to his followers, “Where is your faith?”
The followers were afraid and amazed and said to each other, “Who is this that commands even the wind and the water, and they obey him?”
A Man with Demons Inside Him
26Jesus and his followers sailed across the lake from Galilee to the area of the Gerasene people. 27When Jesus got out on the land, a man from the town who had demons inside him came to Jesus. For a long time he had worn no clothes and had lived in the burial caves, not in a house. 28When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him. He said with a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29He said this because Jesus was commanding the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had taken hold of him. Though he had been kept under guard and chained hand and foot, he had broken his chains and had been forced by the demon out into a lonely place.
30Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
He answered, “Legion,” because many demons were in him. 31The demons begged Jesus not to send them into eternal darkness. 32A large herd of pigs was feeding on a hill, and the demons begged Jesus to allow them to go into the pigs. So Jesus allowed them to do this. 33When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd ran down the hill into the lake and was drowned.
34When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and told about this in the town and the countryside. 35And people went to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, because the demons were gone. But the people were frightened. 36The people who saw this happen told the others how Jesus had made the man well. 37All the people of the Gerasene country asked Jesus to leave, because they were all very afraid. So Jesus got into the boat and went back to Galilee.
38The man whom Jesus had healed begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39“Go back home and tell people how much God has done for you.” So the man went all over town telling how much Jesus had done for him.
Jesus Gives Life to a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
40When Jesus got back to Galilee, a crowd welcomed him, because everyone was waiting for him. 41A man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue, came to Jesus and fell at his feet, begging him to come to his house. 42Jairus’ only daughter, about twelve years old, was dying.
While Jesus was on his way to Jairus’ house, the people were crowding all around him. 43A woman was in the crowd who had been bleeding for twelve years, but no one was able to heal her. 44She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his coat, and instantly her bleeding stopped. 45Then Jesus said, “Who touched me?”
When all the people said they had not touched him, Peter said, “Master, the people are all around you and are pushing against you.”
46But Jesus said, “Someone did touch me, because I felt power go out from me.” 47When the woman saw she could not hide, she came forward, shaking, and fell down before Jesus. While all the people listened, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48Jesus said to her, “Dear woman, you are made well because you believed. Go in peace.”
49While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue leader and said to him, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”
50When Jesus heard this, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe, and your daughter will be well.”
51When Jesus went to the house, he let only Peter, John, James, and the girl’s father and mother go inside with him. 52All the people were crying and feeling sad because the girl was dead, but Jesus said, “Stop crying. She is not dead, only asleep.”
53The people laughed at Jesus because they knew the girl was dead. 54But Jesus took hold of her hand and called to her, “My child, stand up!” 55Her spirit came back into her, and she stood up at once. Then Jesus ordered that she be given something to eat. 56The girl’s parents were amazed, but Jesus told them not to tell anyone what had happened.
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Luke 8: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Luke 8
8
1 And it happened afterwards that he was making a journey through the cities and towns, preaching and evangelizing the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him,
2 along with certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, who is called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had departed,
3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many other women, who were ministering to him from their resources.
4 Then, when a very numerous crowd was gathering together and hurrying from the cities to him, he spoke using a comparison:
5 "The sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell beside the way; and it was trampled and the birds of the air devoured it.
6 And some fell upon rock; and having sprung up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns, rising up with it, suffocated it.
8 And some fell upon good soil; and having sprung up, it produced fruit one hundredfold." As he said these things, he cried out, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
9 Then his disciples questioned him as to what this parable might mean.
10 And he said to them: "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to the rest, it is in parables, so that: seeing, they may not perceive, and hearing, they may not understand.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12 And those beside the way are those who hear it, but then the devil comes and takes the word from their heart, lest by believing it they may be saved.
13 Now those upon rock are those who, when they hear it, accept the word with joy, but these have no roots. So they believe for a time, but in a time of testing, they fall away.
14 And those which fell among thorns are those who have heard it, but as they go along, they are suffocated by the concerns and riches and pleasures of this life, and so they do not yield fruit.
15 But those which were on good soil are those who, upon hearing the word with a good and noble heart, retain it, and they bring forth fruit in patience.
16 Now no one, lighting a candle, covers it with a container, or sets it under a bed. Instead, he places it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.
17 For there is nothing secret, which will not be made clear, nor is there anything hidden, which will not be known and be brought into plain sight.
18 Therefore, take care how you listen. For whoever has, it will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him."
19 Then his mother and brothers came to him; but they were not able to go to him because of the crowd.
20 And it was reported to him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you."
21 And in response, he said to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it."
22 Now it happened, on a certain day, that he climbed into a little boat with his disciples. And he said to them, "Let us make a crossing over the lake." And they embarked.
23 And as they were sailing, he slept. And a windstorm descended over the lake. And they were taking on water and were in danger.
24 Then, drawing near, they awakened him, saying, "Teacher, we are perishing." But as he rose up, he rebuked the wind and the raging water, and they ceased. And a tranquility occurred.
25 Then he said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they, being afraid, were amazed, saying to one another, "Who do you think this is, so that he commands both wind and sea, and they obey him?"
26 And they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.
27 And when he had gone out to the land, a certain man met him, who had now had a demon for a long time. And he did not wear clothes, nor did he stay in a house, but among the sepulchers.
28 And when he saw Jesus, he fell down before him. And crying out in a loud voice, he said: "What is there between me and you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you not to torture me."
29 For he was ordering the unclean spirit to depart from the man. For on many occasions, it would seize him, and he was bound with chains and held by fetters. But breaking the chains, he was driven by the demon into deserted places.
30 Then Jesus questioned him, saying, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered into him.
31 And they petitioned him not to order them to go into the abyss.
32 And in that place, there was a herd of many swine, pasturing on the mountain. And they petitioned him to permit them to enter into them. And he permitted them.
33 Therefore, the demons departed from the man, and they entered into the swine. And the herd rushed violently down a precipice into the lake, and they were drowned.
34 And when those who were pasturing them had seen this, they fled and reported it in the city and the villages.
35 Then they went out to see what was happening, and they came to Jesus. And they found the man, from whom the demons had departed, sitting at his feet, clothed as well as in a sane mind, and they were afraid.
36 Then those who had seen this also reported to them how he had been healed from the legion.
37 And the entire multitude from the region of the Gerasenes pleaded with him to depart from them. For they were seized by a great fear. Then, climbing into the boat, he went back again.
38 And the man from whom the demons had departed pleaded with him, so that he might be with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,
39 "Return to your house and explain to them what great things God has done for you." And he traveled through the entire city, preaching about the great things that Jesus had done for him.
40 Now it happened that, when Jesus had returned, the crowd received him. For they were all waiting for him.
41 And behold, a man came, whose name was Jairus, and he was a leader of the synagogue. And he fell down at the feet of Jesus, asking him to enter into his house.
42 For he had an only daughter, nearly twelve years old, and she was dying. And it happened that, as he was going there, he was hemmed in by the crowd.
43 And there was a certain woman, with a flow of blood for twelve years, who had paid out all her substance on physicians, and she was unable to be cured by any of them.
44 She approached him from behind, and she touched the hem of his garment. And at once the flow of her blood stopped.
45 And Jesus said, "Who is it that touched me?" But as everyone was denying it, Peter, and those who were with him, said: "Teacher, the crowd hems you in and presses upon you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?' "
46 And Jesus said: "Someone has touched me. For I know that power has gone out from me."
47 Then the woman, upon seeing that she was not hidden, came forward, trembling, and she fell down before his feet. And she declared before all the people the reason that she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.
48 But he said to her: "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
49 While he was still speaking, someone came to the ruler of the synagogue, saying to him: "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble him."
50 Then Jesus, upon hearing this word, replied to the father of the girl: "Do not be afraid. Only believe, and she will be saved."
51 And when he had arrived at the house, he would not permit anyone to enter with him, except Peter and James and John, and the father and mother of the girl.
52 Now all were weeping and mourning for her. But he said: "Do not weep. The girl is not dead, but only sleeping."
53 And they derided him, knowing that she had died.
54 But he, taking her by the hand, cried out, saying, "Little girl, arise."
55 And her spirit returned, and she immediately rose up. And he ordered them to give her something to eat.
56 And her parents were stupefied. And he instructed them not to tell anyone what had happened.
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