Luke 8

1Soon afterward Jesus traveled from one town and village to another, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,

2and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and illnesses: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out;

3Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager; Susanna; and many others. These women were supporting them out of their own resources.

4When a large crowd was gathering and people from town after town were coming to him, he told this parable:

5“A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some fell along the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the sky ate it up.

6Other seed fell on rock, and when it came up, it withered because it had no moisture.

7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.

8Still other seed fell into good soil, and when it came up, it produced a crop a hundred times as much.” As he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

9His disciples asked him what this parable meant.

10He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to the others I speak in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’

11This is what the parable means: The seed is the word of God.

12The seed along the path stands for those who hear, but then the devil comes and takes the word away from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

13The seed on the rock stands for those who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in a time of testing they fall away.

14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and their fruit never matures.

15But the seed in the good soil stands for those who hear the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it, and by persevering produce a crop.

16No one lights a lamp and covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light.

17For nothing is hidden that will not be made visible, and nothing is secret that will not be made known and come out into the open.

18So pay attention to how you listen. Whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

19Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not get near him because of the crowd.

20He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

21But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

22One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out.

23As they sailed, he fell asleep. A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger.

24The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are going to die!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. They stopped, and there was a calm.

25He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were afraid and amazed, and they said to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”

26Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee.

27When Jesus stepped out on land, a man from the town who had demons met him. For a long time he had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but he lived among the tombs.

28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and shouted with a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!”

29For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into deserted places.

30Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him.

31And they begged Jesus not to order them to go into the abyss.

32A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and the demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs. So he gave them permission.

33The demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

34When those who were tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported it in the town and in the countryside.

35People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.

36Those who had seen it told them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed.

37Then all the people of the surrounding region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with great fear. So he got into the boat and went back.

38The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,

39“Return to your home, and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and proclaimed throughout the whole town how much Jesus had done for him.

40When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.

41Just then a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet. He pleaded with him to come to his house,

42because his only daughter, about twelve years old, was dying. As Jesus went, the crowds were pressing in on him.

43A woman was there who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all she had on doctors, but no one could heal her.

44She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and at once her bleeding stopped.

45Jesus said, “Who touched me?” When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing against you.”

46But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I know that power has gone out from me.”

47When the woman saw that she could not go unnoticed, she came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people she told why she had touched him and how she had been healed at once.

48He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

49While he was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue leader and said, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher any longer.”

50But when Jesus heard this, he said to him, “Do not be afraid. Just believe, and she will be made well.”

51When he came to the house, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother.

52Everyone was weeping and mourning for her. But he said, “Stop weeping. She is not dead but asleep.”

53They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.

54But he took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!”

55Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he directed that she be given something to eat.

56Her parents were astounded, but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.