| Chapter 8 |
1 |
Upon descending from the hill country He was followed by immense crowds. |
2 |
And a leper came to Him, and throwing himself at His feet, said, "Sir, if only you are willing you are able to cleanse me." |
3 |
So Jesus put out His hand and touched him, and said, "I am willing: be cleansed." Instantly he was cleansed from his leprosy; |
4 |
and Jesus said to him, "Be careful to tell no one, but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses appointed as evidence for them." |
5 |
After His entry into Capernaum a Captain came to Him, and entreated Him. |
6 |
"Sir," he said, "my servant at home is lying ill with paralysis, and is suffering great pain." |
7 |
"I will come and cure him," said Jesus. |
8 |
"Sir," replied the Captain, "I am not a fit person to receive you under my roof: merely say the word, and my servant will be cured. |
9 |
For I myself am also under authority, and have soldiers under me. To one I say `Go,' and he goes, to another `Come,' and he comes, and to my slave `Do this or that,' and he does it." |
10 |
Jesus listened to this reply, and was astonished, and said to the people following Him, "I solemnly tell you that in no Israelite have I found faith as great as this. |
11 |
And I tell you that many will come from the east and from the west and will recline at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of the Heavens, |
12 |
while the natural heirs of the Kingdom will be driven out into the darkness outside: there will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth." |
13 |
And Jesus said to the Captain, "Go, and just as you have believed, so be it for you." And the servant recovered precisely at that time. |
14 |
After this Jesus went to the house of Peter, whose mother-in-law he found ill in bed with fever. |
15 |
He touched her hand and the fever left her: and then she rose and waited upon Him. |
16 |
In the evening many demoniacs were brought to Him, and with a word He expelled the demons; and He cured all the sick, |
17 |
in order that this prediction of the Prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, "He took on Him our weaknesses, and bore the burden of our diseases." |
18 |
Seeing great crowds about Him Jesus had given directions to cross to the other side of the Lake, |
19 |
when a Scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." |
20 |
"Foxes have holes," replied Jesus, "and birds have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." |
21 |
Another of the disciples said to Him, "Sir, allow me first to go and bury my father." |
22 |
"Follow me," said Jesus, "and leave the dead to bury their own dead." |
23 |
Then He went on board a fishing-boat, and His disciples followed Him. |
24 |
But suddenly there arose a great storm on the Lake, so that the waves threatened to engulf the boat; but He was asleep. |
25 |
So they came and woke Him, crying, "Master, save us, we are drowning!" |
26 |
"Why are you so easily frightened," He replied, "you men of little faith?" Then He rose and reproved the winds and the waves, and there was a perfect calm; |
27 |
and the men, filled with amazement, exclaimed, "What kind of man is this? for the very winds and waves obey him!" |
28 |
On His arrival at the other side, in the country of the Gadarenes, there met Him two men possessed by demons, coming from among the tombs: they were so dangerously fierce that no one was able to pass that way. |
29 |
They cried aloud, "What hast Thou to do with us, Thou Son of God? Hast Thou come here to torment us before the time?" |
30 |
Now at some distance from them a vast herd of swine were feeding. |
31 |
So the demons entreated Him. "If Thou drivest us out," they said, "send us into the herd of swine." |
32 |
"Go," He replied. Then they came out from the men and went into the swine, whereupon the entire herd instantly rushed down the cliff into the Lake and perished in the water. |
33 |
The swineherds fled, and went and told the whole story in the town, including what had happened to the demoniacs. |
34 |
So at once the whole population came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they besought Him to leave their country. |