Demons Ask Jesus to Let Them Live in Pigs ^(A)

²⁸ Jesus came to the other side of the lake into the country of the Gadarenes. Two men came to Him from among the graves. They had demons in them and were very wild men. They were so bad that no one would go near them. ²⁹ They called out, saying, “What do You want of us, You Son of God? Have You come here to make us suffer before it is our time to suffer?”

³⁰ A long way from there many pigs were eating. ³¹ The demons begged Jesus, saying, “If You put us out, send us into the pigs.” ³² Jesus said to the demons, “Go!” They came out of the men and went into the pigs. At once the pigs ran down the mountain side. They fell into the water and died.

³³ The men who cared for the pigs ran fast into the city and told everything. They told what happened to the men who had the demons. ³⁴ Every person in the city came to meet Jesus. When they saw Jesus, they asked Him to leave their country.

Demons Ask Jesus to Let Them Live in Pigs ^(A)

²⁶ They came to the land of the Gadarenes, which is on the other side of the country of Galilee. ²⁷ As Jesus stepped out on land, a man met Him who had come from the city. This man had demons in him. For a long time he had worn no clothes. He did not live in a house, but lived among the graves. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he got down before Him and cried with a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High? I beg of You not to hurt me!” ²⁹ For Jesus had spoken to the demon to come out of the man. Many times the demon had taken hold of him. The man had to be tied with chains. But he would break the chains and be taken by the demon into the desert.

³⁰ Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And the demon answered, “Many,” because many demons had gone into him. ³¹ The demons asked Jesus not to send them to the hole without a bottom in the earth. ³² There were many pigs feeding on the side of the mountain. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs. Jesus said they could. ³³ The demons came out of the man and went into the pigs. Then the many pigs ran down the side of the mountain into the water and died.

³⁴ The men who cared for the pigs ran fast and told what had happened in the town and in the country. ³⁵ People came to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the man from whom the demons had been sent. He was sitting at the feet of Jesus with clothes on and had the right use of his mind. The people were afraid. ³⁶ Those who had seen it told how the man who had had the demons was healed. ³⁷ Then all the people of the country of the Gadarenes begged Jesus to go away from them. They were very much afraid. Jesus got into the boat and went back to the other side.

³⁸ The man out of whom the demons had gone begged to go with Jesus. But Jesus sent him away and said, ³⁹ “Go back to your house and tell everything God has done for you.” He went back and told all the people of the city what great things Jesus had done for him.