Luke 8-9

Luke 8

¹It happened soon afterwards, that he went about through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the Kingdom of God. With him were the twelve,

²and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out;

³and Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod's steward; Susanna; and many others; who served them from their possessions.

⁴When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable.

⁵"The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.

⁶Other seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

⁷Other fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it.

⁸Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and brought forth fruit one hundred times." As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

⁹Then his disciples asked him, "What does this parable mean?"

¹⁰He said, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables; that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'

¹¹Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

¹²Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.

¹³Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.

¹⁴That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

¹⁵That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and bring forth fruit with patience.

¹⁶"No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light.

¹⁷For nothing is hidden, that will not be revealed; nor anything secret, that will not be known and come to light.

¹⁸Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn't have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has."

¹⁹His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd.

²⁰It was told him by some saying, "Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you."

²¹But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it."

²²Now it happened on one of those days, that he entered into a boat, himself and his disciples, and he said to them, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they launched out.

²³But as they sailed, he fell asleep. A wind storm came down on the lake, and they were taking on dangerous amounts of water.

²⁴They came to him, and awoke him, saying, "Master, master, we are dying!" He awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased, and it was calm.

²⁵He said to them, "Where is your faith?" Being afraid they marveled, saying one to another, "Who is this, then, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?"

²⁶They arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.

²⁷When Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man out of the city who had demons for a long time met him. He wore no clothes, and didn't live in a house, but in the tombs.

²⁸When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, "What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torment me!"

²⁹For Jesus was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For the unclean spirit had often seized the man. He was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters. Breaking the bands apart, he was driven by the demon into the desert.

³⁰Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion," for many demons had entered into him.

³¹They begged him that he would not command them to go into the abyss.

³²Now there was there a herd of many pigs feeding on the mountain, and they begged him that he would allow them to enter into those. He allowed them.

³³The demons came out from the man, and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned.

³⁴When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country.

³⁵People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and 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 saw it told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed.

³⁷All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. He entered into the boat, and returned.

³⁸But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,

³⁹"Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you." He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

⁴⁰It happened, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.

⁴¹Behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus' feet, and begged him to come into his house,

⁴²for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as he went, the multitudes pressed against him.

⁴³A woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her living on physicians, and could not be healed by any,

⁴⁴came behind him, and touched the fringe of his cloak, and immediately the flow of her blood stopped.

⁴⁵Jesus said, "Who touched me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes press and jostle you, and you say, 'Who touched me?'"

⁴⁶But Jesus said, "Someone did touch me, for I perceived that power has gone out of me."

⁴⁷When the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared to him in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

⁴⁸He said to her, "Daughter, cheer up. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace."

⁴⁹While he still spoke, one from the ruler of the synagogue's house came, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead. Don't trouble the Teacher."

⁵⁰But Jesus hearing it, answered him, "Don't be afraid. Only believe, and she will be healed."

⁵¹When he came to the house, he didn't allow anyone to enter in, except Peter, John, James, the father of the child, and her mother.

⁵²All were weeping and mourning her, but he said, "Don't weep. She isn't dead, but sleeping."

⁵³They were ridiculing him, knowing that she was dead.

⁵⁴But he put them all outside, and taking her by the hand, he called, saying, "Child, arise!"

⁵⁵Her spirit returned, and she rose up immediately. He commanded that something be given to her to eat.

⁵⁶Her parents were amazed, but he commanded them to tell no one what had been done.

Luke 9

¹He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.

²He sent them forth to preach the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

³He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey--neither staffs, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats apiece.

⁴Into whatever house you enter, stay there, and depart from there.

⁵As many as don't receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against them."

⁶They departed, and went throughout the villages, preaching the Good News, and healing everywhere.

⁷Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead,

⁸and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.

⁹Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this, about whom I hear such things?" He sought to see him.

¹⁰The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. He took them, and withdrew apart to a deserted place of a city called Bethsaida.

¹¹But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, and spoke to them of the Kingdom of God, and he cured those who needed healing.

¹²The day began to wear away; and the twelve came, and said to him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms, and lodge, and get food, for we are here in a deserted place."

¹³But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people."

¹⁴For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each."

¹⁵They did so, and made them all sit down.

¹⁶He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.

¹⁷They ate, and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.

¹⁸It happened, as he was praying alone, that the disciples were with him, and he asked them, "Who do the multitudes say that I am?"

¹⁹They answered, "'John the Baptizer,' but others say, 'Elijah,' and others, that one of the old prophets is risen again."

²⁰He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

²¹But he warned them, and commanded them to tell this to no one,

²²saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up."

²³He said to all, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

²⁴For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same will save it.

²⁵For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self?

²⁶For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.

²⁷But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here, who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Kingdom of God."

²⁸It happened about eight days after these sayings, that he took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray.

²⁹As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling.

³⁰Behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah,

³¹who appeared in glory, and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

³²Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him.

³³It happened, as they were parting from him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let's make three tents: one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah," not knowing what he said.

³⁴While he said these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud.

³⁵A voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!"

³⁶When the voice came, Jesus was found alone. They were silent, and told no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

³⁷It happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met him.

³⁸Behold, a man from the crowd called out, saying, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.

³⁹Behold, a spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams, and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely.

⁴⁰I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they couldn't."

⁴¹Jesus answered, "Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here."

⁴²While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

⁴³They were all astonished at the majesty of God. But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples,

⁴⁴"Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men."

⁴⁵But they didn't understand this saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

⁴⁶There arose an argument among them about which of them was the greatest.

⁴⁷Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side,

⁴⁸and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great."

⁴⁹John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he doesn't follow with us."

⁵⁰Jesus said to him, "Don't forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us."

⁵¹It came to pass, when the days were near that he should be taken up, he intently set his face to go to Jerusalem,

⁵²and sent messengers before his face. They went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, so as to prepare for him.

⁵³They didn't receive him, because he was traveling with his face set towards Jerusalem.

⁵⁴When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky, and destroy them, just as Elijah did?"

⁵⁵But he turned and rebuked them, "You don't know of what kind of spirit you are.

⁵⁶For the Son of Man didn't come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." They went to another village.

⁵⁷As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, "I want to follow you wherever you go, Lord."

⁵⁸Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

⁵⁹He said to another, "Follow me!" But he said, "Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father."

⁶⁰But Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce the Kingdom of God."

⁶¹Another also said, "I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house."

⁶²But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God."