Luke 8:14-36

¹⁴By that which fell among the brambles are meant those who hear the message, but who, as they go on their way, are completely choked by this world's cares and wealth and pleasures, and bring nothing to perfection.

¹⁵But by that in the good ground are meant those who, having heard the message, keep it in the good, rich soil of their hearts, and patiently yield a return.

¹⁶“No one sets light to a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or puts it underneath a couch, but they put it on a lamp-stand, so that anyone who comes in may see the light.

¹⁷Nothing is hidden which will not be brought into the light of day, not ever kept hidden which will not some day become known and come into the light of day.

¹⁸Take care, then, how you listen. For, to all those who have, more will be given; while, from all those who have nothing, even what they seem to have will be taken away.”

¹⁹Presently Jesus' mother and brothers came where he was, but they were not able to join him because of the crowd.

²⁰So word was brought to him — ‘Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.’

²¹His reply, spoken to them all, was, “My mother and my brothers are those who listen to God's teaching and do what it says.”

²²One day about that time, Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, “Let us go across the lake.”

²³So they put off. While they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A squall swept down on the lake, and their boat was filling and they were in danger.

²⁴So the disciples came and roused him. “Sir, Sir,” they cried, “we are lost!” Jesus rose and rebuked the wind and the rushing waves, and they fell, and a calm followed.

²⁵“Where is your faith?” he exclaimed. But in great awe and amazement they said to one another, “Who can this be, who commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him?”

²⁶And they reached the region of the Gerasenes, which is on the opposite side to Galilee;

²⁷and, on getting ashore, Jesus met a man, who had demons in him, coming out of the town. For a long time this man had worn no clothing, and he had not lived in a house, but in the tombs.

²⁸Catching sight of Jesus, he shrieked out and threw himself down before him, and in a loud voice exclaimed, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you not to torment me.”

²⁹For Jesus was commanding the foul spirit to come out of the man. On many occasions it had seized him, and, even when secured with chains and fetters, and watched, he would break through anything that bound him, and be driven by the demon into the Wilds.

³⁰“What is your name?” Jesus asked. “Legion,” he answered (for many demons had taken possession of him);

³¹and the demons begged Jesus not to order them away into the bottomless pit.

³²There was a drove of many pigs close by feeding on the hill-side; and the demons begged Jesus to give them leave to enter into them. Jesus gave them leave.

³³They came out from the man and took possession of the pigs; and the drove rushed down the steep slope into the lake and were drowned.

³⁴When the men who tended them saw what had happened, they ran away, and carried the news to the town, and to the country around.

³⁵The people went out to see what had happened, and, when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting, clothed and in his right mind, at Jesus' feet; and they were awe-struck.

³⁶Those who had seen it told them how the possessed man had been delivered.