A cura do homem endemoninhado
(Mt 8.28-34; Lc 8.26-37)
1Chegaram ao outro lado do lago, à terra dos Gerasenos. 2Ao desambarcar, um homem vindo dum cemitério, possuído por um espírito impuro, veio ao seu encontro. 3Este homem morava entre os túmulos e ninguém conseguia prendê-lo nem sequer com correntes. 4Pois muitas vezes o tentaram prender com grilhões e correntes, mas ele partia os grilhões dos pulsos e despedaçava as correntes, sem que ninguém conseguisse dominá-lo. 5Durante o dia e pela noite dentro, errava entre os túmulos e pelos montes desertos, dando gritos e ferindo-se com pedras.
6Mal viu Jesus, vinha este ainda longe, correu ao seu encontro. E deitando-se no chão à sua frente, 7soltou um grito forte: “Que queres tu de mim, Jesus, Filho do Deus altíssimo? Peço-te por Deus que não me atormentes!” 8Jesus falou ao demónio que existia dentro dele: “Sai deste homem, espírito impuro!”
9“Como te chamas?” perguntou Jesus. “Exército, porque somos muitos.” 10E pedia com insistência a Jesus que não os expulsasse para fora da região. 11Ora, andava ali perto, no monte acima do lago, uma grande vara de porcos a pastar, 12e os demónios rogaram-lhe: “Manda-nos para aqueles porcos.” 13Jesus concordou. Então, os espíritos impuros saíram do homem e entraram nos porcos. A vara de 2000 porcos precipitou-se, caindo por um despenhadeiro no mar, onde se afogou.
14Os porqueiros fugiram para a cidade e campos, espalhando a notícia, e as pessoas vieram ver o que tinha sucedido. 15As pessoas dirigiram-se ao encontro de Jesus e viram o endemoninhado ali sentado, agora vestido e em seu perfeito juízo, e ficaram com medo. 16Aqueles que tinham assistido ao que tinha acontecido ao endemoninhado contavam aos outros. 17E a multidão chegou até a pedir a Jesus que fosse embora da região.
18Assim, voltou para o barco e o homem que tinha andado possuído dos demónios pediu a Jesus que o deixasse acompanhá-los. 19Mas Jesus não quis: “Volta para a tua família e conta-lhe as maravilhas que o Senhor te fez e como foi tão bondoso contigo.” 20O homem partiu, para percorrer as Dez Cidades, e contava a toda a gente as grandes coisas que Jesus lhe tinha feito, e todos ficavam pasmados a ouvi-lo.
Uma menina morta e uma mulher doente
(Mt 9.18-26; Lc 8.41-56)
21Quando Jesus atravessou de barco para a outra margem do lago, uma enorme multidão juntou-se à sua volta na praia. 22O líder da sinagoga daquele lugar, cujo nome era Jairo, veio e prostrou-se a seus pés, 23suplicando-lhe com insistência: “A minha filha está às portas da morte. Vem colocar as mãos sobre ela para ser curada, e ela ficará viva!” 24Jesus foi com ele. Uma grande multidão o acompanhava e comprimia.
25Entre todo aquele povo encontrava-se uma mulher que sofria, havia doze anos, de uma perda de sangue. 26Durante esse tempo padecera bastante às mãos de muitos médicos, e tinha gasto tanto com eles que ficara pobre, sem ver quaisquer melhoras; antes piorara. 27Ouvira falar tanto nos espantosos milagres de Jesus que; aproximou-se no meio da multidão por trás e tocou-lhe no manto, 28pois dizia: “Se ao menos eu lhe tocar no manto, ficarei curada.” 29De facto, logo que lhe tocou, o sangue parou de correr e percebeu que estava curada.
30Jesus de imediato sentiu que saíra de si poder e, olhando para trás, perguntou: “Quem foi que me tocou na roupa?”
31Os discípulos disseram-lhe: “Com toda esta gente à tua volta, ainda perguntas quem te tocou?”
32Ele continuou a olhar à sua volta para encontrar quem fizera aquilo. 33Então a mulher, amedrontada e a tremer, sabedora do que lhe tinha acontecido, chegou-se, pôs-se de joelhos diante dele e declarou o que tinha feito. 34Jesus disse-lhe: “Filha, a tua fé te curou! Vai em paz, estás livre do teu mal!”
35Jesus falava ainda com ela, quando chegaram uns mensageiros da casa de Jairo, líder da sinagoga, com a notícia: “A tua filha já morreu. Porque estás ainda a incomodar o Mestre?”
36Jesus, contudo, não fez caso do que diziam e disse para o líder da sinagoga: “Não tenhas medo, crê somente!” 37Jesus não deixou ninguém acompanhá-lo a não ser Pedro, Tiago e João. 38Quando chegaram, havia uma grande confusão, ouvindo-se choro e lamentações. 39E dirigiu-se aos que ali estavam: “Para que é todo este choro e alvoroço? A menina não está morta, apenas dorme!”
40E riram-se de troça. Mas Jesus mandou todos saírem e, acompanhado do pai e da mãe da criança e dos três discípulos, entrou no quarto onde estava deitada. 41E segurando-lhe na mão, disse: “Talita kum!” (Que quer dizer: “Menina, levanta-te!”) 42E a menina, que tinha doze anos de idade, pôs-se imediatamente de pé e começou a andar. Os pais ficaram pasmados. 43Jesus recomendou-lhes muito que não contassem aquilo a ninguém e mandou que dessem de comer à filha.
Jesus restores a demon-possessed man
1They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.5:1 Some manuscripts Gadarenes; other manuscripts Gergesenes 2When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3This man lived in the tombs, and no-one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No-one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7He shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!’ 8For Jesus had said to him, ‘Come out of this man, you impure spirit!’
9Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’
‘My name is Legion,’ he replied, ‘for we are many.’ 10And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12The demons begged Jesus, ‘Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.’ 13He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man – and told about the pigs as well. 17Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, ‘Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’ 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis5:20 That is, the Ten Cities how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
Jesus raises a dead girl and heals a sick woman
21When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered round him while he was by the lake. 22Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23He pleaded earnestly with him, ‘My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.’ 24So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed round him. 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’ 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30At once Jesus realised that power had gone out from him. He turned round in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’
31‘You see the people crowding against you,’ his disciples answered, ‘and yet you can ask, “Who touched me?” ’
32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’
35While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said. ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’
36Overhearing5:36 Or Ignoring what they said, Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’
37He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.’ 40But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum!’ (which means ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’). 42Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
