8:1 Some time 1 afterward 2 he went on through towns 3 and villages, preaching and proclaiming the good news 4 of the kingdom of God. 5 The 6 twelve were with him, 8:2 and also some women 7 who had been healed of evil spirits and disabilities: 8 Mary 9 (called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had gone out, 8:3 and Joanna the wife of Cuza 10 (Herod’s 11 household manager), 12 Susanna, and many others who provided for them 13 out of their own resources.
8:4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus 14 from one town after another, 15 he spoke to them 16 in a parable: 8:5 “A sower went out to sow 17 his seed. 18 And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled on, and the wild birds 19 devoured it. 8:6 Other seed fell on rock, 20 and when it came up, it withered because it had no moisture. 8:7 Other seed fell among the thorns, 21 and they grew up with it and choked 22 it. 8:8 But 23 other seed fell on good soil and grew, 24 and it produced a hundred times as much grain.” 25 As he said this, 26 he called out, “The one who has ears to hear had better listen!” 27
8:9 Then 28 his disciples asked him what this parable meant. 29 8:10 He 30 said, “You have been given 31 the opportunity to know 32 the secrets 33 of the kingdom of God, 34 but for others they are in parables, so that although they see they may not see, and although they hear they may not understand. 35
8:11 “Now the parable means 36 this: The seed is the word of God. 8:12 Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil 37 comes and takes away the word 38 from their hearts, so that they may not believe 39 and be saved. 8:13 Those 40 on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, 41 but 42 in a time of testing 43 fall away. 44 8:14 As for the seed that 45 fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but 46 as they go on their way they are choked 47 by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, 48 and their fruit does not mature. 49 8:15 But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing 50 the word, cling to it 51 with an honest and good 52 heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance. 53
8:16 “No one lights 54 a lamp 55 and then covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in can see the light. 56 8:17 For nothing is hidden 57 that will not be revealed, 58 and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light. 8:18 So listen carefully, 59 for whoever has will be given more, but 60 whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has 61 will be taken from him.”
8:19 Now Jesus’ 62 mother and his brothers 63 came to him, but 64 they could not get near him because of the crowd. 8:20 So 65 he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” 8:21 But he replied 66 to them, “My mother and my brothers are those 67 who hear the word of God and do it.” 68
8:22 One 69 day Jesus 70 got into a boat 71 with his disciples and said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.” So 72 they set out, 8:23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. Now a violent windstorm 73 came down on the lake, 74 and the boat 75 started filling up with water, and they were in danger. 8:24 They 76 came 77 and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, 78 we are about to die!” So 79 he got up and rebuked 80 the wind and the raging waves; 81 they died down, and it was calm. 8:25 Then 82 he said to them, “Where is your faith?” 83 But they were afraid and amazed, 84 saying to one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water, 85 and they obey him!”
8:26 So 86 they sailed over to the region of the Gerasenes, 87 which is opposite 88 Galilee. 8:27 As 89 Jesus 90 stepped ashore, 91 a certain man from the town 92 met him who was possessed by demons. 93 For a long time this man 94 had worn no clothes and had not lived in a house, but among 95 the tombs. 8:28 When he saw 96 Jesus, he cried out, fell 97 down before him, and shouted with a loud voice, “Leave me alone, 98 Jesus, Son of the Most High 99 God! I beg you, do not torment 100 me!” 8:29 For Jesus 101 had started commanding 102 the evil 103 spirit to come out of the man. (For it had seized him many times, so 104 he would be bound with chains and shackles 105 and kept under guard. But 106 he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted 107 places.) 108 8:30 Jesus then 109 asked him, “What is your name?” He 110 said, “Legion,” 111 because many demons had entered him. 8:31 And they began to beg 112 him not to order 113 them to depart into the abyss. 114 8:32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 115 and the demonic spirits 116 begged Jesus 117 to let them go into them. He gave them permission. 118 8:33 So 119 the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd of pigs 120 rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned. 8:34 When 121 the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran off and spread the news 122 in the town 123 and countryside. 8:35 So 124 the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They 125 found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.