Thematic Bible: Miracle of the swine (in gadara)


Thematic Bible



When he reached the opposite side, the country of the Gadarenes, he was met by two demoniacs who ran out of the tombs; they were so violent that nobody could pass along the road there. They shrieked, "Son of God, what business have you with us? Have you come here to torture us before it is time?" Now, some distance away, there was a large drove of swine grazing; read more.
so the daemons begged him saying, "If you are going to cast us out, send us into that drove of swine." He said to them, "Begone!" So out they came and went to the swine, and the entire drove rushed down the steep slope into the sea and perished in the water. The herdsmen fled; they went off to the town and reported the whole affair of the demoniacs.

Then they reached the opposite side of the sea, the country of the Gerasenes. And as soon as he stepped out of the boat a man from the tombs came to meet him, a man with an unclean spirit who dwelt among the tombs; by this time no one could bind him, not even with a chain, read more.
for he had often been bound with fetters and chains and had snapped the chains and broken the fetters ??nobody could tame him. All night and day among the tombs and the hills he shrieked and gashed himself with stones. On catching sight of Jesus from afar he ran and knelt before him, shrieking aloud, "Jesus, son of God most High, what business have you with me? By God, I adjure you, do not torture me." (For he had said, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.") Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he said, "there is a host of us." And they begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a large drove of swine was grazing there on the hillside; so the spirits begged him saying, "Send us into the swine, that we may enter them," And Jesus gave them leave. Then out came the unclean spirits and entered the swine, and the drove rushed down the steep slope into the sea (there were about two thousand of them) and in the sea they were drowned. The herdsmen fled and reported it to the town and the hamlets. So the people came to see what had happened, and when they reached Jesus they saw the lunatic sitting down, clothed and in his sober senses ??the man who had been possessed by 'Legion.' That frightened them. And those who had seen it related to them what had happened to the lunatic and the swine. Then they began begging Jesus to leave their district. As he was stepping into the boat the lunatic begged that he might accompany him; but he said, "Go home to your own people, and report to them all the Lord has done for you and how he took pity on you." So he went off and began to proclaim throughout Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; it made everyone astonished. Now when Jesus had crossed in the boat to the other side again, a large crowd gathered round him; so he remained beside the sea.

They put in at the country of the Gergesenes, on the shore facing Galilee. As he stepped out on land he was met by a man from the town who had daemons in him; for a long while he had worn no clothing, and he stayed not in a house but among the tombs. On catching sight of Jesus he shrieked aloud and prayed him with a loud cry, "Jesus, son of God most High, what business have you with me? Do not torture me, I beg of you." read more.
(For he had charged the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many a time when it had seized hold of him, he had been fastened secure in fetters and chains, but he would snap his bonds and be driven by the daemon into the desert.) So Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he said, for a number of daemons had entered him. And they begged him not to order them off to the abyss. Now a considerable drove of swine was grazing there on the hillside, so the daemons begged him for leave to enter them. He gave them leave, and the daemons came out of the man and went into the swine; the drove rushed down the steep slope into the lake and were suffocated. When the herdsmen saw what had occurred they fled and reported it to the town and the hamlets. The people came out to see what had occurred and when they reached Jesus they discovered the man whom the daemons had left, seated at the feet of Jesus, clothed and sane. That frightened them. They got a report from those who had seen how the lunatic was cured, and then all the inhabitants of the surrounding country of the Gergesenes asked him to leave them, they were so seized with terror. He embarked in the boat and went back. The man whom the daemons had left begged that he might accompany him. Jesus, however, sent him away, saying, "Go home and describe all that God has done for you." So he went off to proclaim through the whole town all that Jesus had done for him. On his return Jesus was welcomed by the crowd; they were all looking out for him.