Mark 5:1-20 - A Demon-Possessed Gerasene Healed

¹ And they came to the other side of the lake, into the country of the Gerasenes. ² And when he had come out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, ³ who had his dwelling in the tombs; and not even with a chain could any one bind him any longer; ⁴ because he had often been bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been snapped asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces; and no one could master him; ⁵ and continually, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself, with stones.

⁶ And seeing Jesus afar off, he ran and bowed down before him, ⁷ and cried out with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, do not torment me. ⁸ For he was saying to him, Unclean spirit, come out from the man.

⁹ And he asked him, What is thy name? And he saith to him, Legion is my name; for we are many. ¹⁰ And he besought him much not to send them out of the country.

¹¹ Now there was there, by the mountain, a great herd of swine feeding. ¹² And they besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. ¹³ And he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits coming out, entered into the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep into the lake, about two thousand, and were drowned in the lake. ¹⁴ And they that fed them fled, and told the news in the city and in the country. And they came to see what had been done. ¹⁵ And they come to Jesus, and see him who had been possessed by demons, sitting, clothed, and in his right mind,him who had had the legion; and they were afraid. ¹⁶ And they who saw it told them how it befell him that was possessed by the demons, and concerning the swine. ¹⁷ And they began to beseech him to depart from their borders.

¹⁸ And when he was going on board the boat, he that had been possessed by the demons besought him that be might be with him. ¹⁹ And he did not permit him, but said to him, Go to thy house to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and that he hath had compassion on thee. ²⁰ And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him; and all wondered.

²⁶ And they sailed to the country of the Gergesenes, which is over against Galilee. ²⁷ And when he had landed, there met him a certain man out of the city who had demons, and for a long time had worn no clothes, and abode not in a house, but in the tombs. ²⁸ And seeing Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the most high God? I beseech thee, do not torment me. ²⁹ For he was about to command the unclean spirit to come out of the man; for it had possessed him for a long time, and he had been kept bound and secured with chains and fetters; and bursting the bands, he had been driven by the demon into the wilderness.

³⁰ And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion; because many demons had entered into him. ³¹ And they besought him not to command them to go away into the abyss.

³² Now there was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain; and they besought him to permit them to go into them. And he permitted them. ³³ And the demons coming out of the man went into the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep into the lake, and were drowned. ³⁴ And the herdsmen, seeing what was done, fled, and told the news in the city and in the country. ³⁵ And they went out to see what had been done. And they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, at the feet of Jesus; and they were afraid. ³⁶ And they who had seen it told them how he that was possessed by demons was made well. ³⁷ And the whole multitude in the surrounding country of the Gergesenes besought him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear. And he went on board a boat and returned.

³⁸ And the man out of whom the demons had gone besought him that he might be with him. But he sent him away, saying, ³⁹ Return to thy house, and tell what great things God hath done for thee. And he went and published through the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.