Mark 5
5
The Madman
1-5They arrived on the other side of the sea in the country of the Gerasenes. As Jesus got out of the boat, a madman from the cemetery came up to him. He lived there among the tombs and graves. No one could restrain him—he couldn’t be chained, couldn’t be tied down. He had been tied up many times with chains and ropes, but he broke the chains, snapped the ropes. No one was strong enough to tame him. Night and day he roamed through the graves and the hills, screaming out and slashing himself with sharp stones.
6-8When he saw Jesus a long way off, he ran and bowed in worship before him—then howled in protest, “What business do you have, Jesus, Son of the High God, messing with me? I swear to God, don’t give me a hard time!” (Jesus had just commanded the tormenting evil spirit, “Out! Get out of the man!”)
9-10Jesus asked him, “Tell me your name.”
He replied, “My name is Mob. I’m a rioting mob.” Then he desperately begged Jesus not to banish them from the country.
11-13A large herd of pigs was grazing and rooting on a nearby hill. The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs so we can live in them.” Jesus gave the order. But it was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned.
14-15Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. Everyone wanted to see what had happened. They came up to Jesus and saw the madman sitting there wearing decent clothes and making sense, no longer a walking madhouse of a man.
16-17Those who had seen it told the others what had happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. At first they were in awe—and then they were upset, upset over the drowned pigs. They demanded that Jesus leave and not come back.
18-20As Jesus was getting into the boat, the demon-delivered man begged to go along, but he wouldn’t let him. Jesus said, “Go home to your own people. Tell them your story—what the Master did, how he had mercy on you.” The man went back and began to preach in the Ten Towns area about what Jesus had done for him. He was the talk of the town.
A Risk of Faith
21-24After Jesus crossed over by boat, a large crowd met him at the seaside. One of the meeting-place leaders named Jairus came. When he saw Jesus, he fell to his knees, beside himself as he begged, “My dear daughter is at death’s door. Come and lay hands on her so she will get well and live.” Jesus went with him, the whole crowd tagging along, pushing and jostling him.
25-29A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well.” The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with.
30At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
31His disciples said, “What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you’re asking, ‘Who touched me?’ Dozens have touched you!”
32-33But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story.
34Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.”
* * *
35While he was still talking, some people came from the leader’s house and told him, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?”
36Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said to the leader, “Don’t listen to them; just trust me.”
37-40a He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John. They entered the leader’s house and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: “Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn’t dead; she’s sleeping.” Provoked to sarcasm, they told him he didn’t know what he was talking about.
40b-43 But when he had sent them all out, he took the child’s father and mother, along with his companions, and entered the child’s room. He clasped the girl’s hand and said, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, get up.” At that, she was up and walking around! This girl was twelve years of age. They, of course, were all beside themselves with joy. He gave them strict orders that no one was to know what had taken place in that room. Then he said, “Give her something to eat.”
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Mark 5
5
1 And they went across the strait of the sea into the region of the Gerasenes.
2 And as he was departing from the boat, he was immediately met, from among the tombs, by a man with an unclean spirit,
3 who had his dwelling place with the tombs; neither had anyone been able to bind him, even with chains.
4 For having been bound often with shackles and chains, he had broken the chains and smashed the shackles; and no one had been able to tame him.
5 And he was always, day and night, among the tombs, or in the mountains, crying out and cutting himself with stones.
6 And seeing Jesus from afar, he ran and adored him.
7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said: "What am I to you, Jesus, the Son of the Most High God? I beseech you by God, that you not torment me."
8 For he said to him, "Depart from the man, you unclean spirit."
9 And he questioned him: "What is your name?" And he said to him, "My name is Legion, for we are many."
10 And he entreated him greatly, so that he would not expel him from the region.
11 And in that place, near the mountain, there was a great herd of swine, feeding.
12 And the spirits entreated him, saying: "Send us into the swine, so that we may enter into them."
13 And Jesus promptly gave them permission. And the unclean spirits, departing, entered into the swine. And the herd of about two thousand rushed down with great force into the sea, and they were drowned in the sea.
14 Then those who pastured them fled, and they reported it in the city and in the countryside. And they all went out to see what was happening.
15 And they came to Jesus. And they saw the man who had been troubled by the demon, sitting, clothed and with a sane mind, and they were afraid.
16 And those who had seen it explained to them how he had dealt with the man who had the demon, and about the swine.
17 And they began to petition him, so that he would withdraw from their borders.
18 And as he was climbing into the boat, the man who had been troubled by the demons began to beg him, so that he might be with him.
19 And he did not permit him, but he said to him, "Go to your own people, in your own house, and announce to them how great are the things that Lord has done for you, and how he has taken pity on you."
20 And he went away and began to preach in the Ten Cities, how great were the things that Jesus had done for him. And everyone wondered.
21 And when Jesus had crossed in the boat, over the strait again, a great crowd came together before him. And he was near the sea.
22 And one of the rulers of the synagogue, named Jairus, approached. And seeing him, he fell prostrate at his feet.
23 And he beseeched him greatly, saying: "For my daughter is near the end. Come and lay your hand on her, so that she may be healthy and may live."
24 And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him, and they pressed upon him.
25 And there was a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years.
26 And she had endured much from several physicians, and she had spent everything she owned with no benefit at all, but instead she became worse.
27 Then, when she had heard of Jesus, she approached through the crowd behind him, and she touched his garment.
28 For she said: "Because if I touch even his garment, I will be saved."
29 And immediately, the source of her bleeding was dried up, and she sensed in her body that she had been healed from the wound.
30 And immediately Jesus, realizing within himself that power that had gone out from him, turning to the crowd, said, "Who touched my garments?"
31 And his disciples said to him, "You see that the crowd presses around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?' "
32 And he looked around to see the woman who had done this.
33 Yet truly, the woman, in fear and trembling, knowing what had happened within her, went and fell prostrate before him, and she told him the whole truth.
34 And he said to her: "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace, and be healed from your wound."
35 While he was still speaking, they arrived from the ruler of the synagogue, saying: "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?"
36 But Jesus, having heard the word that was spoken, said to the ruler of the synagogue: "Do not be afraid. You need only believe."
37 And he would not permit anyone to follow him, except Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.
38 And they went to the house of the ruler of the synagogue. And he saw a tumult, and weeping, and much wailing.
39 And entering, he said to them: "Why are you disturbed and weeping? The girl is not dead, but is asleep."
40 And they derided him. Yet truly, having put them all out, he took the father and mother of the girl, and those who were with him, and he entered to where the girl was lying.
41 And taking the girl by the hand, he said to her, "Talitha koumi," which means, "Little girl, (I say to you) arise.
42 And immediately the young girl rose up and walked. Now she was twelve years old. And they were suddenly struck with a great astonishment.
43 And he instructed them sternly, so that no one would know about it. And he told them to give her something to eat.
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