English Standard Version  
Chapter 5
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man
1They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gadarenes
2And when JesusGreek he; also verse 9 had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.
3He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain,
4for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him.
5Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
6And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him.
7And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”
8For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
9And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”
10And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.
11Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside,
12and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.”
13So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the pigs, and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and were drowned in the sea.
14The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened.
15And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessedGreek daimonizomai; also verses 16, 18; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
16And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs.
17And they began to beg JesusGreek him to depart from their region.
18As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him.
19And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
20And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus's Daughter
21And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea.
22Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet
23and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”
24And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.
25And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years,
26and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.
27She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment.
28For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”
29And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
30And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?”
31And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’”
32And he looked around to see who had done it.
33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.
34And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
36But overhearingOr ignoring; some manuscripts hearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”
37And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James.
38They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and JesusGreek he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.
39And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.”
40And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was.
41Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”
42And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.
43And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Chapter 6
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
1He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.
2And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?
3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
4And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”
5And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.
6And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
Jesus Sends Out the Apostles
7And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
8He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—
9but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
10And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.
11And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”
12So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.
13And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
The Death of John the Baptist
14King Herod heard of it, for Jesus'Greek his name had become known. SomeSome manuscripts He said, “John the BaptistGreek baptizer; also verse 24 has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.”
15But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”
16But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”
17For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her.
18For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.”
19And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not,
20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.
21But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.
22For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.”
23And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”
24And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.”
25And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her.
27And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John'sGreek his head. He went and beheaded him in the prison
28and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.
29When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
30The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.
31And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
32And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.
33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
34When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
35And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late.
36Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denariiA denarius was a day's wage for a laborer worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”
38And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”
39Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass.
40So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties.
41And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all.
42And they all ate and were satisfied.
43And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.
44And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
Jesus Walks on the Water
45Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
46And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
47And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.
48And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the nightThat is, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,
49but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out,
50for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
51And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,
52for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret
53When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore.
54And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him
55and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was.
56And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
Chapter 7
Traditions and Commandments
1Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem,
2they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.
3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they washGreek unless they wash with a fist, probably indicating a kind of ceremonial washing their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders,
4and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.Greek unless they baptize; some manuscripts unless they purify themselves And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.Some manuscripts omit and dining couches)
5And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”
6And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”
9And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!
10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’
11But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban’ (that is, given to God)Or an offering
12then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother,
13thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
What Defiles a Person
14And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand:
15There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”Some manuscripts add verse 16: If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear
16
17And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable.
18And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,
19since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?”Greek goes out into the latrine (Thus he declared all foods clean.)
20And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him.
21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
22coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith
24And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon.Some manuscripts omit and Sidon And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.
25But immediately a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.
26Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
27And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.”
28But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.”
29And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.”
30And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
Jesus Heals a Deaf Man
31Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis.
32And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.
33And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.
34And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
35And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
36And JesusGreek he charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.
37And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

LOADING .......