1 After that, Jesus traveled through various towns and villages, announcing and bringing the news of the triumpha of God’s reign. The Twelve were with him, 2 along with some women who had been healed from oppressiveb spiritsc and debilitating conditions: Miriamd (the one called “The Tower”e) from whom seven demons had come out, 3 Joannaf who was married to Chuza (Herod’s household manager), Susanna, and many other women who provided for them from what they had with them.
4 A lot of people were gathering and traveling to Jesus from various towns, and he told them a parable:
5 “Someone went out to plant his seed, and as he was scattering it, some of it landed on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the heavens devoured it. 6 Other seeds landed in the rocky groundg where they had only a thin layer of soil, and after sprouting, it withered because it didn’t have enough water. 7 Other seeds landed among the thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes grew and choked the seedlings. 8 Finally, other seeds landed in fertile soil and when they grew, they produced 100 times as many grains as had been planted.” As he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears, listen!”
9 His students asked him what this parable was about.
10 “You’ve been initiated intoh the mysteries of God’s reign,” he said, “but for everyone else, I say things in parables so that ‘Though they see it, they won’t see it, and though they hear it, they won’t understand.’i
11 “This is what the parable is about: The seed is God’s message. 12 The seeds along the path are those who hear it, but then the False Accuser comes and snatches the message away their heart,j so they won’t trust it and, therefore, won’t be liberated. 13 The seeds on the rocky ground are when those who hear it receive the message with joy, but they have no root. They trust it for a moment, but when a time of testingk comes, they run away from it. 14 As for the one that landed among the thornbushes, they are the ones who hear the message, but as they keep going, they are choked by the concerns of wealth and pleasures in life, and they never mature. 15 But as for the seeds that landed in the rich soil, they are the ones who, after hearing it, cling to the message in a rich and fertile heart and produce a crop by enduring.
16 “No one lights a lamp and covers it with a container or puts it under a couch;l they put it on a lampstand so that those who go inside can see the light. 17 You see, what is out of sight will become clearly visible, and what is kept in reservem will be made known and brought into view. 18 So, watch out that you hear it because whoever’s got it will be given more, and what they think they have will be taken away from whoever doesn’t get it.”
19 Jesus’ mother and siblingsn tried to get to him, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. 20 Someone notified him, “Your mother and siblings are outside wanting to see you!”
21 “My mother and siblings are whoever hears and acts on God’s message,” he said in response to them.
22 One day, Jesus and his students boarded a boat, and he said to them, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake,” so they set out. 23 As they sailed, Jesus fell asleep. A raging windstorm descended on the lake, the boat began filling with water, and they were in danger of sinking. 24 His students came and woke him up.
“Sir! Sir!”o they hollered, “We’re going to die!”
After waking up, he firmly corrected the wind and the surging waves. They stopped, and everything calmed.
25 Then he said to the students, “Where is your trust?”p
After their terror faded, they were amazed, saying to each other, “What does it mean about him that he even commands the winds and the water, and they listen to him!”
26 They sailed into the region of the Gerasenes, which is the shore opposite Galilee. 27 After he got out and onto the land, a man from the town who had demons rushed up to him. For a long time, he had not worn clothes or stayed in a house but lived among the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, threw himself at Jesus’ feet, and shouted, “What is there between you and me, Jesus, Son of the Highest God! I beg you: don’t torture me!” 29 You see, Jesus directed the unclean spiritq to come out from the person. (After all, it had seized control of him many times, and repeatedly he would be bound with chains and fetters, kept under guard, break the restraints, and then be driven by the demon into the wilderness.)
30 “What is your name?” Jesus asked him.
“Legion,” he said, because many demons had entered him, 31 and they pleaded with him not to direct them to go away into the Deep.r
32 There was a large herd of pigs being fed there on the hill, and the demons pleaded with Jesus to give them permission to enter them. 33 After coming out of the person, the demons went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep hillside and were drowned in the lake. 34 Having seen what happened, the people feeding them fled, and they brought the news to the town and nearby farmland.
35 The people went out to see what happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the person the demons had left, sitting by Jesus’ feet, clothed, and in a healthy state of mind, and they were left shaken. 36 The people who had seen the person haunted by demonss be liberatedt told them the story. 37 Then the whole assembly of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region begged him to leave them because they were possessed by immense fear.
He got into the boat and turned back to Galilee. 38 The man the demons had left begged to go with him, but he sent him home,u saying, 39 “Go back to your house and describe what God did for you.” So, he went, announcing throughout the whole town what Jesus did for him.
40 As Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him because they were all waiting for him. 41 Suddenly, a man named Jair,v who was a leader of the synagogue, came and threw himself at Jesus’ feet. He began pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying.
As Jesus was leaving, the crowd was crushing in around him. 43 A woman was there who had been vaginally bleedingw continuously for twelve years. She had used up all she had to live on with healers,x but she didn’t have the meansy to be healed by anyone. 44 Coming up behind Jesus, she clung toz the tasselaa on his clothing, and instantly, her bleeding stopped.
45 “Who clung onto me?” Jesus called out.
While everyone was denying it, Peter said, “Sir,bb the whole crowd is pressing in from all sides and holding onto you!”
46 “Someone clung onto me,” said Jesus, “because I felt powercc go out from me.”
47 When the woman realized that she didn’t go unnoticed, she came trembling and threw herself at his feet. In front of all the people, she explained why she had clung to him and how she was restored to well-being instantly.
48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “Your faithfulnessdd has liberatedee you. Go with wholeness.”ff
49 While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter has died. Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”
50 But Jesus heard and responded, “Don’t be afraid; just stay faithful, and she’ll be liberated.”
51 When he got to the house, he didn’t let anyone go inside with him except Peter, John,gg Jacob,hh and the child’s mother and father. 52 Everyone was wailing and mourning for her, but Jesus said, “You can stop mourning now.ii After all, she didn’t die; she’s just sleeping.” 53 They started laughing at him because they knew she died.
54 Taking hold of her hand, he called, “Child, rise up!”jj
55 Instantly, her life-breathkk returned, and she woke up,ll and he arranged for her to be given something to eat. 56 Her parents were ecstatic, but he instructed them not to tell anyone what happened.
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FOOTNOTES:
a. Traditionally, “bring this good news.” The word here is a verb euangelizo, meaning to announce or carry the euangelion, traditionally, translated ‘gospel’ or ‘good news.’ The word ‘gospel’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon term god-spell, which means ‘good story.’ The Greek euangelion literally means ‘good message’ and was used specifically of a message announced publicly, which fits the use of the word ‘news.’ The historical context comes from when rulers and military leaders returned to a city after victory in battle, and a herald would be sent ahead to announce the victory and the ruler’s impending arrival. The writers of the Bible took this word and applied it to Jesus’ victory of a different kind. The use of “news of triumph” here is intended to communicate the full meaning of the word in context and not the narrow dictionary definition.
b. Traditionally, ‘evil.’ The Greek term poneros, includes a range of meanings beyond moral depravity, including harm, decay, and burden. Rooted in ponos—which conveys toil, suffering, and hardship—poneros emphasizes oppressive, harmful conditions. Rather than simply moral "evil," this term often indicates harmful external impacts, focusing on social and personal harm rather than abstract judgment.
c. The Greek term pneuma literally means "breath," and is often translated as "Life-breath" to emphasize the communal and embodied power of divine and human vitality. However, when context requires ambiguity between an internal psychological reality (such as trauma, shame, or fear internalized from the community) and an external, potentially spiritual entity, the word "spirit" is used. Though abstract, "spirit" best maintains this delicate balance in English. Readers should understand that "spirit" can evoke either—or both—meanings simultaneously, in the same way that a modern English speaker might refer to “battling my demons” when they are wrestling with trauma or shame.
d. ‘Mary’ is the English version of the Greek name Maria, which is itself a transliteration of the Hebrew name Miryam or ‘Miriam,’ which means “beloved” or possibly “bitterness” or “rebellion.” Many names were de-Jewish-ized through layers of translation and tradition, making its original Hebrew roots less visible to modern readers.
e. Magdalene means ‘Tower’ in Aramaic.
f. ‘Joanna’ is the English version of the Greek name Ioanna, which is itself a transliteration of the Hebrew name Yochanah or Yehochanan, meaning “Yahweh is gracious.” Like many biblical names, it was de-Jewish-ized through layers of translation and tradition, making its original Hebrew roots less visible to modern readers.
g. The ‘rocky ground’ in Palestine is a layer of limestone right under the surface.
h. ‘Initiated’ translates the Greek dedotai (literally “has been given”) to emphasize the relational and participatory nature of receiving Jesus’ teachings and the 'knowledge of the mystery’ which echoes the cultural practice of mystery cults at the time. The contrast here is not about exclusion but approach—those in close relationship with Jesus are already on the path of insight, while others are invited into it through parables. The citation from Isaiah 6:9 describes how resistant hearts can remain untransformed even in the presence of truth.
i. Quotation of Isaiah 6:9
j. The Greek word kardia (usually translated “heart”) describes the deepest core of a person, where thoughts, feelings, desires, motivations, and critical decision-making all come together. It serves as an “inner compass,” giving direction to a person’s life, not just with emotions or for guiding individual decisions, but in shaping the entire way someone sees, trusts, and moves through the world.
k. Testing in the New Testament refers to hardships that have the potential to lead people to take the shortcut to resolving the hardship that mirrors the world system or leans into following the lead of self-preservation instincts that react with aggression or avoidance. To “pass” the test is to remain faithful in the face of hardships, even though faithfulness carries a cost in the present.
l. Sometimes translated as “bed” this word refers to something like a cot or stretcher or furniture for reclining that was easily portable and even used for carrying a person.
m. The Greek word apokruphon, often translated “hidden” or “secret,” comes from the verb apokrupto—to conceal, cover, or store away. Rather than implying something permanently inaccessible, the term can describe something intentionally kept back for a later time, awaiting the right moment for disclosure. Translating it as “kept in reserve” emphasizes that what is hidden is not withheld forever.
n. The word adelphos, literally means ‘brother’ or ‘sibling.’ It was also frequently used to refer to ‘cousin’ or ‘relative,’ and even for members of the same ideological or ethnic group. With Jesus’ insistence on a radically inclusive understanding of God’s instruction, it is always pushing further than what already seems to be the most wide-sweeping view people hold. In the New Testament, it comes to be used of anyone who has joined the movement Jesus leads, regardless of gender.
o. Traditionally, ‘Master,’ The Greek word here is epistata, a respectful form of address used exclusively by Jesus’ disciples. It derives from the root epistamai, meaning “to know, understand, or be acquainted with,” and is related to the idea of someone who stands over or supervises—hence a guide, overseer, or leader. Many traditional translations render it “Master,” but that carries authoritarian connotations absent from the Greek. The term conveys relational respect rather than institutional authority.
p. Traditionally, ‘faith.’ The Greek term pistis communicates meanings such as trust, faithfulness, commitment, and allegiance, reflecting an active, relational trust rather than a static belief. This translation emphasizes an ongoing, reciprocal relationship between trusting someone and committed faithfulness that confirms trustworthiness.
q. The Greek term pneuma literally means "breath," and is often translated it as "Life-breath" to emphasize the communal and embodied power of divine and human vitality. However, when context requires ambiguity between an internal psychological reality (such as trauma, shame, or fear internalized from the community) and an external, potentially spiritual entity, the word "spirit" is used. Though abstract, "spirit" best maintains this delicate balance in English. Readers should understand that "spirit" can evoke either—or both—meanings simultaneously, in the same way that a modern English speaker might refer to “battling my demons” when they are wrestling with trauma or shame.
r. The Greek word abussos literally means “bottomless” or “immeasurably deep” and often refers to a vast, chaotic depth in the sea. Traditional translations use “abyss” or “bottomless pit,” but those renderings emphasize punishment and horror rather than the term’s scriptural associations. “The Deep” echoes the Hebrew concept of tehom, the primal chaotic waters over which God’s spirit hovered in Genesis 1:2. Here, it represents not merely a location but a domain of uncreation evoked in apocalyptic and cosmological language throughout scripture. By the time of Jesus, Jewish apocalyptic tradition had developed this concept into a cosmic prison for antagonistic spirits. Translating it as “the Deep” preserves the connection with Genesis 1 and the spiritual protection without the penal associations with eternal torment imposed by later Christian tradition.
s. The traditional ‘possessed by’ is not in the Greek, and the actual word would be directly something like ‘demonized.’ Some kind of torment is certainly at play here. The word diamonia can carry the meaning of an evil entity, but it can also be ‘a spirit of…’ as in a part of a person that causes their own suffering, such as ‘fear.’ It was also sometimes in the Greek speaking god in a way that was not inherently negative to refer to lesser Greek gods.
t. Traditionally, ‘saved.’ This word carries a meaning of any kind of action to prevent or repair harm. Appropriate translations could be ‘liberated,’ ‘restored,’ ‘rescued,’ ‘healed,’ ‘preserved,’ or ‘protected.’
u. Literally, “sent him away,” but in English that phrase sounds harsher than the Greek communicates.
v. Jairus is the English version of the Greek name Iairos, which is itself a transliteration of the Hebrew name Ya’ir, meaning “he shines” or “he enlightens.” Like many other biblical names, it passed through Greek and Latin forms before reaching English, which often obscures its original Hebrew meaning and cultural resonance.
w. This woman would have been considered ritually unclean for the entire duration of her bleeding, forbidden from participating in communal worship or even touching another human being. Even the furniture she uses would have been considered unclean, preventing her from living with anyone else. She would have been destitute and alone. See Leviticus 15:25-30.
x. Traditionally translated “physicians,” this word was used broadly for anyone who attempted to cure illnesses, including those who practiced the medical wisdom of the time, folk healers, and anyone who claimed to be able to help though any means, including spiritual.
y. The word here conveys strength, and it can be used when referring to physical strength, emotional fortitude, social influence, or financial resources.
z. Traditionally translated ‘touch,’ this word depicts a stronger sense of attaching oneself to something, grasping onto something, or maintaining a hold on something. This was not just touching Jesus and many others in the crowd but actively holding onto him in violation of the Levitical prohibition against human contact.
aa. Jewish men wore tassels on their clothing as a reminder to themselves to adhere to the teaching of the Torah. Her choice to reach for his tassel was highly symbolic of her reaching for his ritual purity in the hopes that it would cleanse her of her ritual impurity.
bb. Traditionally, ‘Master,’ The Greek word here is epistata, a respectful form of address used exclusively by Jesus’ disciples. It derives from the root epistamai, meaning “to know, understand, or be acquainted with,” and is related to the idea of someone who stands over or supervises—hence a guide, overseer, or leader. Many traditional translations render it “Master,” but that carries authoritarian connotations absent from the Greek. The term conveys relational respect rather than institutional authority.
cc. This is a synonym of the word translated as ‘means’ in verse 43. The primary translation is ‘power’ and can be used to refer to physical strength and ability, emotional and spiritual fortitude, social influence, and financial resources.
dd. Traditionally, ‘faith.’ The Greek term pistis communicates meanings such as trust, faithfulness, commitment, and allegiance, reflecting an active, relational trust rather than a static belief. This translation emphasizes an ongoing, reciprocal relationship between trusting someone and committed faithfulness that confirms trustworthiness.
ee. Traditionally, ‘saved.’ This word carries a meaning of any kind of action to prevent or repair harm. Appropriate translations could be ‘liberated,’ ‘restored,’ ‘rescued,’ ‘healed,’ ‘preserved,’ or ‘protected.’
ff. “Wholeness” translates the Greek word eirene, which is often rendered “peace.” But like the Hebrew shalom, it implies more than emotional calm. It refers to being restored, healed, reconnected—to God, to community, and to one’s own dignity.
gg. The name ‘John’ is the English version of the Latin version of the Greek transliteration (Ioannes) of the Hebrew name Yohanan or in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, Johanan, which means “God has been gracious” or “My God is gracious.”
hh. Traditionally: ‘James.’ The Greek is Iakobos, from the Hebrew Ya’aqov, which is the same as it uses for Jacob son of Isaac and Jacob grandfather of Jesus. Jacob is the English name as it came through German, and James is the English name as it came through French. That way, it turned into two names in English, but it started as the same name in Hebrew and Greek.
ii. More literally, this says “Stop wailing.” The wailing was a culturally expected expression of mourning when someone died. The wording “Stop wailing” sounds harsh in English but does not carry that same tone in Greek. It is used here as a signal to her that she is about to be comforted.
jj. The word egeiro has several uses, the most central being ‘get up.’ It is one of the words referring to Jesus being raised from the dead, and it can mean literally standing up or waking up, as well as rising up in an insurrection or being presented as a public figure like a prophet.
kk. Traditionally, ‘spirit.’ The Greek word pneuma carries the primary meaning of ‘breath’ and can be used to refer to ‘wind,’ ‘breath,’ or an animating energy within people, thought to be perceptible in the breath. Hebrew and Latin also use the same word for all these concepts. In scripture, it typically calls back the image to Genesis 1 and 2: “the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2 NASB) and “the Lord God formed the human from the topsoil of the fertile land and blew life’s breath into [its] nostrils. The human came to life.” (Genesis 2:7 CEB).
ll. The word anistemi has several uses, the most central being ‘get up.’ It is one of the words referring to Jesus rising from the dead, and it can mean literally standing up or waking up, as well as rising up in an insurrection or being presented as a public figure like a prophet.