1Afterward Jesus travelled through every city and village, preaching and telling 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 sicknesses. Among them was Mary, called Magdalene, out of whom seven demons had gone,
3and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who was Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others. These women used their own money to care for him.
4A great crowd gathered, and people came to him out of every city. He spoke to them in a parable:
5"A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell by the side of the path. It was trampled down, and the birds of the air ate it up."
6"Some fell on rock. As soon as it came up, it dried out and died, because it had no moisture."
7"Some fell among thorns. The thorns grew up with it and choked it."
8"Other seed fell on good ground. It grew up and produced fruit, a hundred times as much." When he had said these things, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
9His disciples asked him, "What does this parable mean?"
10He said, "You have been given the right to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. But to others I speak in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand."
11"Now this is what the parable means. The seed is the word of God."
12"The ones by the side of the path are those who hear. Then the devil comes and takes the word out of their hearts, so that they will not believe and be saved."
13"The ones on the rock are those who receive the word with joy when they hear it. But they have no root. They believe for a while, and in the time of testing they fall away."
14"The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear. But as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and their fruit never ripens."
15"But the seed on the good ground stands for those who hear the word with an honest and good heart, and keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."
16"No one lights a candle and then covers it with a pot, or puts it under a bed. Instead, he sets it on a candlestick, so that those who come in may see the light."
17"Nothing is secret that will not be made plain. Nothing is hidden that will not be known and brought out into the open."
18"So be careful how you listen. Whoever has, more will be given to him. And whoever does not have, even what he seems to have 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.
20Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside. They want to see you."
21He answered them, "My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."
22One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." So they set out.
23As they sailed, he fell asleep. A windstorm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in danger.
24They came to him and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we are dying." Then he got up and ordered the wind and the raging water to stop. They stopped, and all was calm.
25He said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, "What kind of man is this? He gives orders even to the winds and the water, and they obey him."
26They came to the country of the Gadarenes, which is across the lake from Galilee.
27When Jesus stepped out on the land, a man from the city met him. For a long time this man had been troubled by demons. He wore no clothes, and he did not live in a house, but among the tombs.
28When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down in front of him. With a loud voice he said, "What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of God most high? I beg you, do not torment me."
29(For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him. He had been kept bound with chains and shackles, but he broke the chains, and was driven by the demon into the desert.)
30Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion," because many demons had entered into him.
31And they begged him not to command them to go out into the deep.
32A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the mountain. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs. And he allowed them.
33Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs. The herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and drowned.
34When the men who fed the pigs saw what had happened, they ran away and told it in the city and in the country.
35Then people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone. He was sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
36Those who had seen it told them how the man who had been possessed by the demons was healed.
37Then all the people of the country of the Gadarenes around them begged Jesus to leave them, because they were gripped by great fear. So he got into the boat and went back again.
38The man from whom the demons had gone begged to stay with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,
39"Go back to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over the city what great things Jesus had done for him.
40When Jesus returned, the people welcomed him gladly, for they were all waiting for him.
41Look, a man named Jairus came. He was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus' feet and begged him to come to his house,
42because his only daughter, about twelve years old, was dying. But as Jesus went, the people pressed in all around him.
43A woman was there who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had spent everything she had on doctors, and no one could heal her.
44She came up behind him and touched the edge of his robe. At once her bleeding stopped.
45Jesus said, "Who touched me?" When everyone denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the crowd is all around you and pressing against you, and you say, 'Who touched me?'"
46But Jesus said, "Somebody touched me. I know that power has gone out of me."
47When the woman saw that she could not stay hidden, she came trembling and fell down before him. In front of all the people she told him why she had touched him, and how she had been healed at once.
48He said to her, "Daughter, take comfort. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace."
49While he was still speaking, someone came from the house of the ruler of the synagogue and said to him, "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Master any more."
50But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, "Do not be afraid. Only believe, and she will be made well."
51When he came to the house, he allowed no one to go in with him except Peter, James and John, and the girl's father and mother.
52Everyone was weeping and mourning for her. But he said, "Do not weep. She is not dead, but sleeping."
53And they laughed at him, for they knew that she was dead.
54He put them all outside. He took her by the hand and called, "Girl, get up."
55Her spirit came back, and she got up at once. And he told them to give her something to eat.
56Her parents were amazed. But he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.