Mat 8 | ISV | STEP | Jesus Cleanses a Leper When Jesus came down from the hillside, large crowds followed him.

Matthew 8

1 Jesus Cleanses a Leper Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16When Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. he} came down from the hillside, large crowds followed him. 2 Suddenly a leper ^{▼▼I.e. a man with a serious skin disease} came up to him, fell down before him, and said, “Sir, ^{▼▼Or Lord} if you want to, you can make me clean.”Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12

3 So Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. He} reached out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do want to. Be made clean!” And instantly his leprosy was made clean.

4 Then Jesus said to him, “See to it that you don't speak to anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest, and then offer the sacrifice that Moses commanded as proof to the authorities.” ^{▼▼Lit. to them}Lev 14:3-4, 10; Matt 9:30; Mark 5:43; Luke 5:14

5 Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant Luke 7:1-10; John 4:43-54When Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. he} returned to Capernaum, a centurion ^{▼▼I.e. a commander of about 100 soldiers} came up to him and begged him repeatedly,Luke 7:1 6 “Sir, ^{▼▼Or Lord} my servant is lying at home paralyzed and in terrible pain.”

7 Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. He} said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8 The centurion replied, “Sir, ^{▼▼Or Lord} I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.Ps 107:20; Luke 15:19, 21 9 For I, too, am a man under authority and have soldiers under me. I say to one ‘Go’ and he goes, to another ‘Come’ and he comes, and to my servant ‘Do this’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those who were following him, “Truly I tell you, not even ^{▼▼Other mss. read in no one} in Israel have I found this kind of faith! 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and will feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.Gen 12:3; Isa 2:2-3; 11:10; Mal 1:11; Luke 13:29; Acts 10:45; 11:18; 14:27; Rom 15:9; Eph 3:6 12 But the citizens ^{▼▼Lit. sons} of that kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” ^{▼▼I.e. extreme pain}Matt 13:42, 50; 21:43; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28; 2Pet 2:17; Jude 1:13

13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go. It will be done for you just as you have believed.” And his servant was healed that very hour. 14 Jesus Heals Many People Mark 1:29-34; Luke 4:38-41When Jesus went into Peter's house, he saw Peter's ^{▼▼Lit. his} mother-in-law lying in bed, sick with a fever.Mark 1:29-31; Luke 4:38-39; 1Cor 9:5 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began serving him.

16 When evening came, people ^{▼▼Lit. they} brought to him many who were possessed by demons. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all those who were sick.Mark 1:32; Luke 4:40-41 17 This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said,Isa 53:4; 1Pet 2:24

“It was he who took our illnesses away

and removed our diseases.” ^{▼▼Isa 53:4}

18 The Would-Be Followers of Jesus Luke 9:57-62When Jesus saw the large crowds around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side. ^{▼▼I.e. to the other side of the Sea of Galilee} 19 Now a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”Luke 9:57-58

20 Jesus told him,

“Foxes have holes and birds ^{▼▼Lit. birds in the sky} have nests,

but the Son of Man has no place to rest.” ^{▼▼Lit. no place to lay his head}

21 Then another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, ^{▼▼Or Sir} first let me go and bury my father.”1Kings 19:20; Luke 9:59-60

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

23 Jesus Calms the Sea Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25When Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. he} got into the boat, his disciples went with him. 24 Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat began to be swamped by the waves. Yet Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. he} kept sleeping.Mark 4:37; Luke 8:23 25 They ^{▼▼Other mss. read The disciples} went to him and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We're going to die!”

26 He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you who have little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.Ps 65:7; 89:9; 107:29

27 The men were amazed and said, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!” 28 Jesus Heals Two Demon-Possessed Men Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39When Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. he} arrived on the other side in the region of the Gerasenes, ^{▼▼Other mss. read Gergesenes; still other mss. read Gadarenes} two demon-possessed men met him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could travel on that road.Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26 29 Suddenly they screamed, “What do you want with us, Son of God? Did you come here to torture us before the proper time?”

30 Now a large herd of pigs was grazing some distance away from them. 31 So the demons began to plead with Jesus, ^{▼▼Lit. him} saying, “If you drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”

32 He said to them, “Go,” and they came out and went into the pigs. Suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the cliff into the sea and died in the water.

33 Now when those who had been taking care of the pigs ran away, they came into the city and reported everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole city went out to meet Jesus, and as soon as they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.Deut 5:25; 1Kings 17:18; Luke 5:8; Acts 16:39