Matthew 8

1When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him.

2A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

3Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be clean.” And immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.

4Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him and pleaded with him,

6“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

7Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

9For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and another, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I tell my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those who were following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

11I tell you, many will come from east and west and will recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

12But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”

13Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go. Let it be done for you just as you have believed.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.

14When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.

15He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began to serve him.

16When evening came, people brought to him many who were possessed by demons. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick,

17so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: “He took our weaknesses and carried our diseases.”

18When Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.

19Then a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

21Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

23When he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.

24Suddenly a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But Jesus was sleeping.

25They went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are going to die!”

26He said to them, “Why are you so afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

27The men were amazed and said, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!”

28When he arrived at the other side, in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming out of the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass by that way.

29They cried out, “What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”

30Some distance away from them, a large herd of pigs was feeding.

31The demons begged him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

32He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and died in the water.

33The men tending the pigs ran off, went into the town, and reported everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.

34Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.