Luke 8

Women Minister to Jesus

1 Soon afterward, [Jesus] traveled from one town and village {to another} , preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve [were] with Him, 2 as well as some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 Joanna [the] wife of Herod’s household manager Chuza, Susanna, and many others. [These women] were ministering to them ▼

▼TR to Him

out of their own means.

The Parable of the Sower

4 [While] a large crowd was gathering and [people] were coming to [Jesus] from town after town, He told [them] [this] parable: 5 “ - A farmer went out to sow his seed. And as he was sowing, some [seed] fell along the path, where it was trampled, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, [the seedlings] withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other [seed] fell among thorns, [which] grew up with [it] [and] choked [the seedlings] . 8 Still other [seed] fell on good soil, [where] it sprang up [and] produced a crop— a hundredfold.” As [Jesus] said [this] , He called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 9 Then His disciples asked Him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others [I speak] in parables, so that, ‘ [though] seeing, they may not see; [though] hearing, they may not understand.’ ▼

▼Isaiah 6:9

11 Now this is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 The [ seeds ] along the path are those who hear, [but] the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe [and] be saved. 13 The [ seeds ] on rocky ground [are] those who hear the word [and] receive it with joy, but [they] have no root. [They] believe for a season, [but] in [the] time of testing, they fall away. 14 The [ seeds that ] fell among the thorns are those who hear, [but] as they go on their way, they are choked by [the] worries, riches, and pleasures of [this] life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 But the [seeds] on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, [who] hear the word, cling to [it] , and by persevering produce a crop.

The Lesson of the Lamp

16 No one lights a lamp [and] covers it with a jar or puts [it] under a bed. Instead, he sets [it] on a lampstand, so those who enter can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, [and] nothing concealed that made known and brought to light. 18 Pay attention, therefore, to how you listen. Whoever has will be given [more] , [but] whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

19 Then [Jesus’] mother and brothers came to [see] Him, but they were unable to reach Him because of the crowd. 20 He was told, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You.” 21 But He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out.”

Jesus Calms the Storm

22 One day [Jesus] said to [His disciples] , “Let us cross to the other side of the lake.” So He got into a boat [with] [them] and set out. 23 As they sailed, He fell asleep, and a squall came down on the lake, so that [the boat] was being swamped, and they were in great danger. 24 [The disciples] went [and] woke Him saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then [Jesus] got up [and] rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and [all] was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” He asked. Frightened [and] amazed, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him!”

The Demons and the Pigs

26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, ▼

▼BYZ and TR Gadarenes; also in verse 37

across [the lake] from Galilee. 27 When [Jesus] stepped ashore, He was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time [this man] had not worn clothing [or] lived in a house, but [he stayed] in the tombs. 28 When [the man] saw Jesus, he cried out [and] fell down before Him, shouting in a loud voice, “What do You [want] with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You not to torture me!” 29 For [Jesus] had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and [though] he was bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains [and] been driven by the demon into solitary places. 30 “What is your name?” Jesus asked. “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And [the demons] kept begging [Jesus] not to order them to go into the Abyss. 32 There on the hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. [So] [the demons] begged [Jesus] to let them enter [the pigs] , and He gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man [and] went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 When those tending [the pigs] saw what had happened, they ran off and reported [this] in the town and countryside. 35 [So] [the people] went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man whom the demons had left, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Meanwhile, those who had seen [it] reported how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked [Jesus] to depart from them, because great fear had taken hold of them. So He got into the boat [and] started back. 38 The man whom the demons had left begged to go with [Jesus] . But He sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So [the man] went away [and] proclaimed all over the town how much Jesus had done for him.

The Healing Touch of Jesus

40 When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him. 41 Just then, [a] synagogue leader named Jairus came and fell at Jesus’ feet. He begged Him to come to his house, 42 because his only daughter, [who was] about twelve, was dying. As [Jesus] went [with him] , the crowds pressed around Him, 43 including a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. [She] had spent all her money on physicians, ▼

▼NE and WH do not include She had spent all her money on physicians

[but] no one was able to heal [her] . 44 She came up behind [Jesus] [and] touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 “Who touched Me?” Jesus asked. But they all denied [it] . “Master,” said Peter, ▼

▼BYZ and TR include and those who were with him

“the people are crowding and pressing against You.” 46 But Jesus declared, “Someone touched Me, for I know that power has gone out from Me.” 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not escape notice, came trembling and fell down before Him. In the presence of all the people she explained why she had touched Him and how she had immediately been healed. 48 “Daughter,” said [Jesus] , “your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” 49 [While] He {was} still speaking, someone arrived from the [house of] the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he told [Jairus] . “ {Do not} bother the Teacher [anymore] .” 50 But Jesus overheard [them] [and] said to [Jairus] , “ {Do} not be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” 51 When He entered the house, He did not allow anyone to go in with Him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile everyone was weeping and mourning for her. But [Jesus] said, “vvv Stop weeping; she is not dead but asleep.” 53 And they laughed at Him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But [Jesus] took her by the hand [and] called out, “Child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she got up. And He directed that she be given [something] to eat. 56 Her parents were astounded, but [Jesus] ordered them {not} to tell [anyone] what had happened.