Study Desk

Then^(a) they came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes.^[a]

As soon as He got out of the boat, a man with an unclean^(b) spirit^(c) came out of the tombs^(d) and met Him.

He lived in the tombs.^(e) No one was able to restrain him anymore—even with chains^(f)—

because he often had been bound with shackles and chains, but had snapped off the chains and smashed^(g) the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue^(h) him.

And always, night⁽ⁱ⁾ and day, he was crying out among the tombs^(j) and in the mountains^(k) and cutting himself with stones.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before Him.

And he cried out with a loud voice, "What do You have to do with me,^[b] Jesus, Son^(l) of the Most High God?^(m) I beg^[c] You before God, don't torment⁽ⁿ⁾ me!"

For He had told him, "Come out of the man, you unclean^(o) spirit!" ^(p)

"What is your name?" He asked him. "My name is Legion,"^[d](q) he answered Him, "because we are many."

And he kept begging Him not to send them out of the region.

Now a large herd of pigs^(r) was there, feeding^(s) on the hillside.

The demons^[e] begged Him, "Send us to the pigs, so we may enter them."

And He gave them permission. Then the unclean^(t) spirits^(u) came out and entered the pigs, and the herd of about 2,000 rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there.

The men who tended them^[f] ran off^(v) and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened.

They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed^(w) by the legion,^(x) sitting there, dressed and in his right mind;^(y) and they were afraid.^(z)

The eyewitnesses described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed^(aa) man and told about the pigs.

Then they began to beg Him to leave their region.

As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed kept begging Him to be with Him.

But He would not let him; instead, He told him, "Go back home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord^(ab) has done^(ac) for you and how He has had mercy on you."

So he went out and began to proclaim^(ad) in the Decapolis^(ae) how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.^(af)