1Chegaram ao outro lado do lago, à terra dos Gerasenos.2Ao desambarcar, um homem vindo dum cemitério, possuído por um espírito impuro, veio ao seu encontro.3Este homem morava entre os túmulos e ninguém conseguia prendê-lo nem sequer com correntes.4Pois muitas vezes o tentaram prender com grilhões e correntes, mas ele partia os grilhões dos pulsos e despedaçava as correntes, sem que ninguém conseguisse dominá-lo.5Durante o dia e pela noite dentro, errava entre os túmulos e pelos montes desertos, dando gritos e ferindo-se com pedras.6Mal viu Jesus, vinha este ainda longe, correu ao seu encontro. E deitando-se no chão à sua frente,7soltou um grito forte: “Que queres tu de mim, Jesus, Filho do Deus altíssimo? Peço-te por Deus que não me atormentes!”8Jesus falou ao demónio que existia dentro dele: “Sai deste homem, espírito impuro!”9“Como te chamas?” perguntou Jesus. “Exército, porque somos muitos.”10E pedia com insistência a Jesus que não os expulsasse para fora da região.11Ora, andava ali perto, no monte acima do lago, uma grande vara de porcos a pastar,12e os demónios rogaram-lhe: “Manda-nos para aqueles porcos.”13Jesus concordou. Então, os espíritos impuros saíram do homem e entraram nos porcos. A vara de 2000 porcos precipitou-se, caindo por um despenhadeiro no mar, onde se afogou.14Os porqueiros fugiram para a cidade e campos, espalhando a notícia, e as pessoas vieram ver o que tinha sucedido.15As pessoas dirigiram-se ao encontro de Jesus e viram o endemoninhado ali sentado, agora vestido e em seu perfeito juízo, e ficaram com medo.16Aqueles que tinham assistido ao que tinha acontecido ao endemoninhado contavam aos outros.17E a multidão chegou até a pedir a Jesus que fosse embora da região.18Assim, voltou para o barco e o homem que tinha andado possuído dos demónios pediu a Jesus que o deixasse acompanhá-los.19Mas Jesus não quis: “Volta para a tua família e conta-lhe as maravilhas que o Senhor te fez e como foi tão bondoso contigo.”20O homem partiu, para percorrer as Dez Cidades, e contava a toda a gente as grandes coisas que Jesus lhe tinha feito, e todos ficavam pasmados a ouvi-lo.
Uma menina morta e uma mulher doente
21Quando Jesus atravessou de barco para a outra margem do lago, uma enorme multidão juntou-se à sua volta na praia.22O líder da sinagoga daquele lugar, cujo nome era Jairo, veio e prostrou-se a seus pés,23suplicando-lhe com insistência: “A minha filha está às portas da morte. Vem colocar as mãos sobre ela para ser curada, e ela ficará viva!”24Jesus foi com ele. Uma grande multidão o acompanhava e comprimia.25Entre todo aquele povo encontrava-se uma mulher que sofria, havia doze anos, de uma perda de sangue.26Durante esse tempo padecera bastante às mãos de muitos médicos, e tinha gasto tanto com eles que ficara pobre, sem ver quaisquer melhoras; antes piorara.27Ouvira falar tanto nos espantosos milagres de Jesus que; aproximou-se no meio da multidão por trás e tocou-lhe no manto,28pois dizia: “Se ao menos eu lhe tocar no manto, ficarei curada.”29De facto, logo que lhe tocou, o sangue parou de correr e percebeu que estava curada.30Jesus de imediato sentiu que saíra de si poder e, olhando para trás, perguntou: “Quem foi que me tocou na roupa?”31Os discípulos disseram-lhe: “Com toda esta gente à tua volta, ainda perguntas quem te tocou?”32Ele continuou a olhar à sua volta para encontrar quem fizera aquilo.33Então a mulher, amedrontada e a tremer, sabedora do que lhe tinha acontecido, chegou-se, pôs-se de joelhos diante dele e declarou o que tinha feito.34Jesus disse-lhe: “Filha, a tua fé te curou! Vai em paz, estás livre do teu mal!”35Jesus falava ainda com ela, quando chegaram uns mensageiros da casa de Jairo, líder da sinagoga, com a notícia: “A tua filha já morreu. Porque estás ainda a incomodar o Mestre?”36Jesus, contudo, não fez caso do que diziam e disse para o líder da sinagoga: “Não tenhas medo, crê somente!”37Jesus não deixou ninguém acompanhá-lo a não ser Pedro, Tiago e João.38Quando chegaram, havia uma grande confusão, ouvindo-se choro e lamentações.39E dirigiu-se aos que ali estavam: “Para que é todo este choro e alvoroço? A menina não está morta, apenas dorme!”40E riram-se de troça. Mas Jesus mandou todos saírem e, acompanhado do pai e da mãe da criança e dos três discípulos, entrou no quarto onde estava deitada.41E segurando-lhe na mão, disse: “Talita kum!” (Que quer dizer: “Menina, levanta-te!”)42E a menina, que tinha doze anos de idade, pôs-se imediatamente de pé e começou a andar. Os pais ficaram pasmados.43Jesus recomendou-lhes muito que não contassem aquilo a ninguém e mandou que dessem de comer à filha.
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; Sl 57:2; Dn 3:26; Mt 4:3; Mt 4:6; Mt 14:33; Mt 26:63; Mc 1:26; Lc 1:32; Lc 6:35; At 8:7; At 16:17; At 19:13; Tg 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. (Mc 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; At 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.” (Sl 66:16; Mc 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; Mc 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; At 13:15; At 18:8; At 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; Mc 6:5; Mc 7:32; Mc 8:23; Mc 8:25; Mc 16:18; Lc 4:40; Lc 13:13; At 9:12; At 9:17; At 28:8)24And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. (Mc 3:9; Mc 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; Mc 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; At 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.” (Mc 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?” (Mc 5:22; Lc 7:6; Jo 11:28)36But overhearing[5] what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” (Mc 5:35)37And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. (Mc 3:17; Mc 9:2; Mc 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.” (Jo 11:4; Jo 11:11; At 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. (At 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; Mc 1:31; Lc 7:14; Lc 7:22; Jo 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; Mc 9:9)