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Mark 5

1They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. 2As he stepped out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit met him from among the tombs. 3He lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, even with a chain. 4He had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he tore the chains apart and smashed the shackles. No one had the strength to tame him. 5Constantly, night and day, he was among the tombs and in the mountains, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him. 7Crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I put you under oath by God: do not torment me!” 8For Jesus had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9He asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “My name is Legion, because we are many.” 10And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region.

11A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. 12They begged him, “Send us into the pigs, so that we may enter them.” 13He permitted them. The unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep slope into the sea, about two thousand of them, and drowned in the sea.

14Those tending them fled and reported it in the town and countryside, and people came to see what had happened. 15They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been afflicted by demons sitting there, clothed and in his right mind—the man who had had the Legion—and they were afraid. 16Those who had seen it told them what had happened to the man afflicted by demons, and about the pigs. 17They began begging Jesus to leave their territory. 18As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been afflicted by demons begged to be with him. 19He did not allow him, but said, “Go home to your own people and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has shown you mercy.” 20He went away and began proclaiming in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

21When Jesus crossed again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he was beside the sea. 22One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came and, seeing him, fell at his feet. 23He begged him earnestly: “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be saved and live.” 24Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him.

25A woman had suffered a flow of blood for twelve years. 26She had suffered much under many physicians and spent all she had, yet had gained nothing and instead had grown worse. 27Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28For she said, “If I touch even his clothes, I will be saved.” 29Immediately the spring of her blood dried up, and she knew in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30Immediately Jesus, aware within himself that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32But he kept looking around to see who had done it. 33The woman, afraid and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace, and be well, free of your affliction.”

35While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader's house, saying, “Your daughter has died. Why trouble the teacher any further?” 36But Jesus, overhearing what was said, told the synagogue leader, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 37He allowed no one to accompany him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38They came to the synagogue leader's house, and he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39Going in, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child has not died but is sleeping.” 40They laughed at him. But he put them all out and took the child's father and mother and those with him into the place where the child was. 41Taking the child's hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I tell you, get up.” 42Immediately the little girl stood up and walked, for she was twelve years old. Immediately they were overcome with great amazement. 43He strictly ordered them that no one should know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Translation notes 5

5:1 — Gerasenes. The place-name varies in the witnesses; Gadarenes and Gergesenes are significant alternatives. This draft follows its Greek base without relocating the scene to resolve the geographical questions.

5:23, 28, 34; 6:56; 10:52 — “Saved.” The Greek verb sōzō can mean rescue, heal, or save. In these scenes physical restoration is in view; “made well” is a natural English equivalent. Retaining “saved” makes the repeated word visible, including its later use in sayings about life and salvation. It does not require every occurrence to have an identical theological scope.

5:29 — “The spring of her blood.” The Greek presents the bleeding as a source or spring that dries up. The ordinary meaning is that her bleeding stopped.

5:36 — “Overhearing.” The same Greek verb can also mean “disregarding” what was said. Either way, Jesus responds to the report by calling Jairus to believe.

5:41; 7:34 — Preserved speech. “Talitha koum” and “Ephphatha” retain the Semitic expressions Mark preserves and then explains. In 5:41, “I tell you” belongs to Mark's Greek explanation, even though it is not a separate element in the short expression he quotes.