1Cuando llegaron al otro lado del lago, a la tierra de Gerasa,2en cuanto Jesús puso pie en tierra, un endemoniado salió del cementerio y se le acercó.3-4Vivía entre los sepulcros y tenía tanta fuerza que, cada vez que lo encadenaban de pies y manos, rompía las cadenas y se iba. Nadie tenía fuerza suficiente para dominarlo.5Día y noche vagaba solitario por los sepulcros y los montes gritando e hiriéndose con piedras afiladas.6Cuando vio a lo lejos que Jesús se acercaba, corrió a su encuentro, cayó de rodillas ante él7y gritó con fuerza: ―¿Qué tienes contra mí, Jesús, Hijo del Dios Altísimo? ¡Te suplico por Dios que no me atormentes!8-9―¡Sal de este hombre, espíritu inmundo! —le ordenó Jesús; y luego le preguntó: ―¿Cómo te llamas? El demonio le respondió: ―Legión, porque somos muchos.10Los demonios le suplicaron que no los enviara lejos de aquella región.11Y como había por allí, cerca del cerro, un enorme hato de cerdos comiendo,12le suplicaron los demonios: ―Envíanos a los cerdos y déjanos entrar en ellos.13Al asentir Jesús, los espíritus inmundos salieron del hombre y entraron en los cerdos, que se precipitaron al lago por un despeñadero y se ahogaron. Eran como dos mil animales.14Los que cuidaban los cerdos corrieron a dar la noticia en la ciudad y en los campos, y la gente salió a ver lo que había sucedido.15Cuando llegaron a donde estaba Jesús, vieron sentado allí, vestido y en su pleno juicio, al que había estado endemoniado. Y les dio mucho miedo.16Al contarles los testigos presenciales lo ocurrido,17le pidieron a Jesús que se fuera de allí.18Jesús ya iba a regresar en la barca cuando se le acercó el que había estado endemoniado y le suplicó que lo dejara ir con él.19Pero Jesús le dijo: ―No. Vete a tu casa, con los tuyos, y cuéntales las maravillas que el Señor ha hecho contigo, y cómo tuvo misericordia de ti.20Aquel hombre recorrió la Decápolis contando las grandes cosas que Jesús había hecho con él. Y la gente se maravillaba al oírlo.
Una niña muerta y una mujer enferma
21Cuando Jesús desembarcó en la otra orilla del lago, una enorme multitud se reunió a su alrededor.22De la multitud se adelantó un hombre que se postró a los pies de Jesús. Era Jairo, uno de los jefes de la sinagoga.23―Señor —le suplicaba—, mi hija se está muriendo. Ven y pon tus manos sobre ella, porque yo sé que puedes hacer que viva.24-25Jesús lo acompañó. En medio de aquella multitud que se apretujaba a su alrededor, estaba una mujer que durante los últimos doce años había estado enferma con cierto tipo de derrame de sangre.26Hacía mucho que sufría en manos de los médicos, y a pesar de haber gastado todo lo que tenía, en vez de mejorar estaba peor.27Enterada de lo que Jesús hacía, se le acercó por detrás, entre la multitud, y le tocó el manto,28porque pensaba que al tocarlo, sanaría.29Y, en efecto, tan pronto como lo tocó, el derrame cesó y se sintió perfectamente bien.30Jesús se dio cuenta en seguida de que de él había salido poder; por eso se volvió y le preguntó a la multitud: ―¿Quién me tocó?31Sus discípulos le respondieron: ―¿Cómo se te ocurre preguntar quién te tocó si ves que todo el mundo te está apretujando?32Él siguió mirando a su alrededor en busca de quién lo había hecho.33La mujer, temblando de miedo y consciente de lo que le había pasado, se arrodilló delante de él y le confesó toda la verdad.34Jesús le dijo: ―Hija, tu fe te ha sanado; vete en paz, que ya no estás enferma.35Mientras decía esto, llegaron de la casa de Jairo a darle la noticia de que su hija había muerto y decirle que ya no era necesario que siguiera molestando al maestro.36Al darse cuenta, Jesús le dijo al jefe de la sinagoga: ―No temas. Sólo cree.37Y no permitió que nadie fuera con él sino Pedro y los hermanos Jacobo y Juan.38Al llegar a la casa del jefe de la sinagoga y ver que había mucho alboroto y gran llanto y dolor,39Jesús les dijo a los que allí estaban: ―¿Por qué hacen tanto llanto y alboroto? La niña no está muerta; sólo está dormida.40La gente se rio de Jesús; pero Jesús les ordenó a todos que salieran y él, con el padre, la madre y los discípulos que lo acompañaban entró al cuarto en que reposaba la niña.41La tomó de la mano y le dijo: ―Talita cum (que significa: Levántate, niña).42-43En el mismo instante, la niña, de doce años de edad, se levantó y caminó. Jesús ordenó que le dieran de comer. La gente quedó muy admirada, pero Jesús les suplicó encarecidamente que no lo dijeran a nadie.
1They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.[1] (Mt 8:28; Lc 8:26)2And when Jesus[2] 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, (Ap 18:2)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 cutting himself with stones.6And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. (Mt 8:2)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.” (Gn 14:18; Nm 24:16; Sal 57:2; Dn 3:26; Mt 4:3; Mt 4:6; Mt 14:33; Mt 26:63; Mr 1:26; Lc 1:32; Lc 6:35; Hch 8:7; Hch 16:17; Hch 19:13; Stg 2:19)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.” (Mt 26:53)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 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-possessed[3] man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. (Mr 5:9; Lc 8:27)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 Jesus[4] to depart from their region. (Lc 5:8; Hch 16:39)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.” (Sal 66:16; Mr 1:44)20And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. (Mt 4:25; Mr 7:31)
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 (Mt 9:18; Lc 8:41; Lc 13:14; Hch 13:15; Hch 18:8; Hch 18:17)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.” (Mt 9:18; Mr 6:5; Mr 7:32; Mr 8:23; Mr 8:25; Mr 16:18; Lc 4:40; Lc 13:13; Hch 9:12; Hch 9:17; Hch 28:8)24And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. (Mr 3:9; Mr 5:31)25And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, (Lv 15:25)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. (Mt 15:28; Mt 17:18; Mr 3:10)30And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” (Lc 5:17; Lc 6:19; Lc 8:46; Hch 10:38)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.” (Mr 5:29; Lc 7:50)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?” (Mr 5:22; Lc 7:6; Jn 11:28)36But overhearing[5] what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” (Mr 5:35)37And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. (Mr 3:17; Mr 9:2; Mr 14:33)38They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus[6] 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.” (Jn 11:4; Jn 11:11; Hch 20:10)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. (Hch 9:40)41Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” (Mt 11:5; Mr 1:31; Lc 7:14; Lc 7:22; Jn 11:43)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. (Mt 8:4; Mr 9:9)