Luke 8

Some Women Accompany Jesus

1Soon afterward Jesus was going through every city and village, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2as well as some women who had been healed of 1evil spirits and infirmities: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had gone out, 3Joanna the wife of Chuza (Herod's steward), Susanna, and many others. These women provided for Jesus 2and his disciples out of their own resources.

The Parable of the Sower

4As a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he said in a parable: 5“A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky devoured it. 6Other seed fell on rock, and as it grew up, it withered away because it had no moisture. 7Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8But other seed fell 3into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundred times more than what was sown.” As he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Purpose of Speaking in Parables

9Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?” 10He said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest I speak in parables, so that ‘they may see but not perceive, and hear but not understand.’

The Parable of the Sower Explained

11“Now this is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12The ones along the path are those who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. Yet they have no root; they believe for a while, but in a time of testing they fall away. 14The seed that fell among the thorns are those who have heard, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature. 15But the seed in the good soil are those who hear the word, hold fast to it with an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient 4endurance.

A Lamp Under a Container

16“No one lights a lamp and covers it with a container or puts it under a bed. Instead, it is put on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see its light. 17For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything hidden away that will 5not be made known and come to light. 18Therefore consider how you hear, for whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

19Then Jesus' 6mother and brothers came to him, but they were not able to reach him because of the crowd. 20So some people told him, “Yoʋr mother and yoʋr brothers are standing outside, wanting to see yoʋ.” 21But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

Jesus Calms a Storm

22One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, 23and as they were sailing along, he fell asleep. Then a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were in danger as the boat was being swamped by the waves. 24So they came to Jesus and woke him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then he 7rose and rebuked the wind and the raging water. They ceased, and all was calm. 25Then he said to his disciples, “Where is your faith?” But they were afraid and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man

26Then 8they sailed to the region of the 9Gadarenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a man from the city who 10had been possessed by demons for a long time. This man did not wear clothes or live in a house but among the tombs. 28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, “What do yoʋ have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg yoʋ, do not torment me.” 29For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and he would be bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, but he would break the chains and be driven by the demon into desolate places. 30Jesus then asked him, “What is yoʋr name?” He said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31And 11he begged Jesus not to command them to go away into the abyss.

32Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding there on the mountain. The demons begged Jesus to permit them to enter the pigs. So he gave them permission. 33Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

34When those who had been feeding the pigs saw what happened, they ran 12off and reported it in the city and in the countryside. 35So the people came out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they 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 demon-possessed man had been delivered. 37Then the entire multitude from the surrounding region of the 13Gadarenes asked Jesus to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into 14the boat and left. 38Now the man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39“Return to yoʋr house, and declare all that God has done for yoʋ.” So the man went away, proclaiming throughout the entire city all that Jesus had done for him.

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

40Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they had all been waiting for him. 41And behold, there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus' feet and begged him to come to his house, 42because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying.

As Jesus went on his way, the crowds were pressing in on him. 43Now there was a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve 15years, and even though she had spent her entire livelihood on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. 44She came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of his garment, and the flow of her blood stopped at once. 45Then Jesus said, “Who touched me?” When everyone denied it, Peter 16and those who were with him said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding yoʋ and pressing against 17yoʋ, and yet yoʋ say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 46But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I know that power has gone out from me.” 47When the woman saw that she could not escape notice, she came trembling and fell down before him, and in the presence of all the people she 18told him the reason why she had touched him, and how she had been healed at once. 48Then Jesus said to her, “19Take courage, daughter; yoʋr faith has healed yoʋ. Go in peace.”

49While he was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house and said 20to him, “Yoʋr daughter has died; do not trouble the 21teacher.” 50But when Jesus heard this, he said to him in response, “Do not be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” 51When he came to the house, Jesus 22allowed no one to go in, except Peter, 23John, James, and the child's father and mother. 52Meanwhile, all the people were weeping and mourning for her, but Jesus said, “Do not 24weep; she is not dead but sleeping.” 53And they began laughing at him, knowing that she was dead. 54But Jesus 25put them all outside, took hold of the girl's hand, and called out, “Child, arise!” 55Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he told them to give her something to eat. 56Her parents were amazed, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.