Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
Mark 5
A Man Among the Tombs
They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as Jesus stepped out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came from the tombs to meet him. The man lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. He had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he tore the chains apart and shattered the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day he was always among the tombs and on the mountains, crying out and cutting himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him. Crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you by God, do not torment me!” For Jesus had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.” Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He answered, “My name is Legion, because we are many.” And he begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of the region.
A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The spirits begged him, “Send us into the pigs so that we may enter them.” Jesus gave them permission. The unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs, and the herd—about two thousand—rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned. Those tending the pigs fled and reported it in the city and countryside, and people came to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demonized sitting there, clothed and in his right mind—the man who had had the legion—and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them what had happened to the demonized man and to the pigs. Then they began begging Jesus to leave their region.
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demonized begged to go with him. Jesus did not allow him but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he had mercy on you.” The man went away and began proclaiming throughout the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed.
A Woman Healed and a Girl Raised
When Jesus had crossed again by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him beside the sea. One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded with him earnestly, “My little daughter is near death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may be saved and live.” Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed in around him.
A woman had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years. She had suffered greatly under many physicians and had spent everything she had, yet instead of getting better she had grown worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she kept saying, “If I touch even his clothes, I will be saved.” Immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she knew in her body that she had been healed from her affliction. Immediately Jesus knew in himself that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” But he kept looking around to see who had done it. The woman, afraid and trembling because she knew what had happened to her, came and fell before him and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed from your affliction.”
While Jesus was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter has died. Why trouble the teacher any longer?” But Jesus, overhearing what they said, told the synagogue leader, “Do not be afraid; only trust.” He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. When they came to the synagogue leader’s house, Jesus saw a commotion, with people weeping and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why are you making such a commotion and weeping? The child has not died but is sleeping.” They laughed at him. After putting everyone outside, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up.” Immediately the girl got up and began walking around. She was twelve years old. They were overcome with great amazement. Jesus gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and he told them to give her something to eat.