1And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. 12And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. 14And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. 15And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. 16And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. 17And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. 18And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. 19Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. 20And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel. 21And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea. 22And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, 23And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. 24And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. 25And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. 35While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? 36As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. 37And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. 38And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. 39And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. 40And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. 41And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. 42And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. 43And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.
Jesus sætter en ikke-jøde fri fra dæmonernes magt
Matt. 8,28-34; Luk. 8,26-39
1Jesus og disciplene var nu nået over søen til den anden bred, til gerasenernes5,1 Eller: „gadarenernes”. Manuskripterne varierer. Her tænkes næppe på den store by Gerasa, som ligger midtvejs mellem Galilæasøen og Det Døde Hav ca. 30 km øst for Jordanfloden. Det henviser snarere til en lille flække (Gersa?) ved søens bred, som i dag er kendt under navnet Kursi. egn. 2-3Straks da de gik i land, kom en mand styrtende ud fra en klippehule og hen imod dem. Han var besat af onde ånder og holdt til i de klippehuler, der blev brugt som gravpladser. 4Han havde igen og igen sprængt alle de fodjern og lænker, man havde forsøgt at holde ham bundet med. Ingen kunne klare ham, 5og dag og nat kunne man høre ham hyle i gravhulerne og oppe i bjergene, hvor han slog sig selv med sten.
6Manden havde på lang afstand fået øje på Jesus, og nu kom han styrtende og kastede sig ned på jorden foran ham. 7-8Jesus befalede den onde ånd at forlade manden, men blev mødt med et højt skrig: „Lad mig være i fred, Jesus, du, den almægtige Guds Søn! Lov mig højt og helligt, at du ikke vil pine mig.”
9„Hvad er dit navn?” spurgte Jesus. „Legion,” svarede han, „for vi er mange!” 10Og så gav dæmonerne sig til at bønfalde Jesus om ikke at sende dem bort fra egnen.
11Nu var der en stor flok svin, som gik og rodede efter føde på toppen af en skrænt i nærheden. 12„Giv os lov til at besætte svinene!” tiggede dæmonerne. 13I samme øjeblik Jesus gav dem lov, fór dæmonerne ud af manden og ind i svinene, og hele flokken—omkring 2000—styrtede ned ad skrænten og druknede i søen.
14Svinehyrderne flygtede og fortalte om det både i by og på land, så egnens beboere kom strømmende til for at se, hvad der var sket. 15Da de kom hen til Jesus, så de manden, der havde haft de mange dæmoner i sig, sidde påklædt og ved sans og samling. Det forbløffede dem og gjorde dem bange. 16De, der havde set, hvad der var sket med manden og svinene, fortalte dem, hvordan det var gået til. 17Derefter bad de Jesus om at forlade deres egn.
18Da Jesus var på vej op i båden, bad manden, der havde været besat af dæmoner, om lov til at følge med ham. 19„Nej,” sagde Jesus, „gå du hjem til dine landsmænd og fortæl, hvad Israels Gud5,19 Den græske tekst siger „Herren”. Som det er tradition hos jøderne, bruger Jesus ordet „Herre” for Jahve, Israels Gud. i sin barmhjertighed har gjort for dig.”
20Manden gik derefter rundt i Dekapolis og fortalte alle om de store ting, Jesus havde gjort for ham. Og folk undrede sig.
Ved tro bliver en kvinde helbredt og en pige oprejst fra de døde
Matt. 9,18-26; Luk. 8,40-56
21Så snart Jesus var nået tilbage over søen og gået i land, samledes en stor skare mennesker omkring ham. Mens han endnu stod nede på søbredden, 22kom en synagogeforstander derhen. Hans navn var Jairus. Da han kom hen til Jesus, faldt han på knæ foran ham 23og bad indtrængende: „Min lille datter ligger for døden derhjemme! Men hvis du kommer og lægger hænderne på hende, så vil hun blive rask og leve!”
24Jesus gik med ham, men en vældig masse mennesker trængtes stadig om ham. 25Mellem de mange mennesker var der en kvinde, som igennem 12 år havde lidt af vedvarende blødninger. 26I alle de år havde hun gennemgået meget hos forskellige læger, og selv om hun havde brugt alle sine penge i håb om at blive rask, var hendes tilstand ikke blevet bedre—tværtimod. 27-28Hun havde hørt, hvad folk fortalte om Jesus, og hun trængte sig nu frem gennem mængden for at nå hen til ham. „Hvis bare jeg får rørt ved hans bedesjal, bliver jeg helbredt,” tænkte hun. Forsigtigt rørte hun bagfra ved sjalet. 29Straks standsede blødningerne, og hun kunne mærke, at hun var blevet rask.
30Jesus standsede op og vendte sig om, for han havde mærket, at en helbredende kraft var strømmet ud fra ham. „Hvem var det, der rørte ved mit sjal?” spurgte han.
31„Hele mængden maser jo ind på dig,” indvendte disciplene. „Og så spørger du, hvem der har rørt ved dig?”
32Jesus blev imidlertid stående og så sig omkring for at få øje på den, der havde gjort det.
33Den forskrækkede kvinde kom frem. Hun rystede af sindsbevægelse, for hun vidste jo, hvad der var sket. „Det var mig,” sagde hun og faldt på knæ foran ham. Og så fortalte hun det hele. 34„Min ven, det var din tro, der reddede dig,” sagde Jesus. „Gå med fred! Du er nu fuldstændig helbredt.”
35Mens han endnu stod og talte med hende, kom der nogle til Jairus med en besked fra hans hjem: „Din datter er død,” sagde de til ham. „Der er ingen grund til at ulejlige mesteren mere.” 36Jesus hørte, hvad der blev sagt, og sagde henvendt til Jairus: „Vær ikke bange. Du skal bare tro på mig.”
37Jesus ville ikke have andre med sig hen til Jairus’ hjem end Peter, Jakob og dennes bror Johannes. 38Da de kom derhen, var der en vældig larm. Folk græd og jamrede højlydt inde i huset. 39Jesus og disciplene gik indenfor. „Hvorfor græder og jamrer I sådan?” spurgte han. „Den lille pige er ikke død. Hun sover bare.” 40De lo ad ham, men han bad dem alle gå udenfor og tog kun den lille piges far og mor og de tre disciple med ind i det værelse, hvor hun lå.
41Han gik hen til sengen, tog pigens hånd og sagde: „Stå op, min pige!” 42Straks rejste hun sig op og begyndte at gå omkring. Hun var 12 år gammel. Forældrene stod og stirrede med åben mund. 43„I må ikke sige det til nogen,” sagde Jesus strengt, „og sørg for, at hun får noget at spise.”
