Mark 5
The Message (MSG)
The
Madman
5 1-5
They arrived on the other side of the sea in the country of the
Gerasenes. As Jesus got out of the boat, a madman from the cemetery came up to
him. He lived there among the tombs and graves. No one could restrain him—he
couldn’t be chained, couldn’t be tied down. He had been tied up many times with
chains and ropes, but he broke the chains, snapped the ropes. No one was strong
enough to tame him. Night and day he roamed through the graves and the hills,
screaming out and slashing himself with sharp stones.
6-8 When he saw Jesus a long way
off, he ran and bowed in worship before him—then bellowed in protest, “What
business do you have, Jesus, Son of the High God, messing with me? I swear to
God, don’t give me a hard time!” (Jesus had just commanded the tormenting evil
spirit, “Out! Get out of the man!”)
9-10 Jesus asked him, “Tell me your
name.”He replied, “My name is Mob. I’m a
rioting mob.” Then he desperately begged Jesus not to banish them from the
country.
11-13 A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a
nearby hill. The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs so we can live in
them.” Jesus gave the order. But it was even worse for the pigs than for the
man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned.
14-15 Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and
told their story in town and country. Everyone wanted to see what had happened.
They came up to Jesus and saw the madman sitting there wearing decent clothes
and making sense, no longer a walking madhouse of a man.
16-17 Those who had seen it told the others what had
happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. At first they were in awe—and
then they were upset, upset over the drowned pigs. They demanded that Jesus
leave and not come back.
18-20 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the
demon-delivered man begged to go along, but he wouldn’t let him. Jesus said, “Go
home to your own people. Tell them your story—what the Master did, how he had
mercy on you.” The man went back and began to preach in the Ten Towns area about
what Jesus had done for him. He was the talk of the town.
A Risk of
Faith
21-24 After Jesus crossed over by boat, a large crowd met
him at the seaside. One of the meeting-place leaders named Jairus came. When he
saw Jesus, he fell to his knees, beside himself as he begged, “My dear daughter
is at death’s door. Come and lay hands on her so she will get well and live.”
Jesus went with him, the whole crowd tagging along, pushing and jostling
him.
25-29 A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging
for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated
her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard
about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking
to herself, “If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well.” The moment she
did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her
plague was over and done with.
30 At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from
him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
31 His disciples said, “What are you talking about? With
this crowd pushing and jostling you, you’re asking, ‘Who touched me?’ Dozens
have touched you!”
32-33 But he went on asking, looking around to see who had
done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped
up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole
story.
34 Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith,
and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your
plague.”
35 While he was still talking, some people came from the leader’s
house and told him, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any
more?”
36 Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said
to the leader, “Don’t listen to them; just trust me.”
37-40 He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter,
James, and John. They entered the leader’s house and pushed their way through
the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was
abrupt: “Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn’t dead; she’s
sleeping.” Provoked to sarcasm, they told him he didn’t know what he was talking
about.
40-43 But when he had sent them all out, he took the
child’s father and mother, along with his companions, and entered the child’s
room. He clasped the girl’s hand and said, “Talitha koum,” which means,
“Little girl, get up.” At that, she was up and walking around! This girl was
twelve years of age. They, of course, were all beside themselves with joy. He
gave them strict orders that no one was to know what had taken place in that
room. Then he said, “Give her something to eat.”
The Message (MSG)
The
Madman
5 1-5
They arrived on the other side of the sea in the country of the
Gerasenes. As Jesus got out of the boat, a madman from the cemetery came up to
him. He lived there among the tombs and graves. No one could restrain him—he
couldn’t be chained, couldn’t be tied down. He had been tied up many times with
chains and ropes, but he broke the chains, snapped the ropes. No one was strong
enough to tame him. Night and day he roamed through the graves and the hills,
screaming out and slashing himself with sharp stones.
6-8 When he saw Jesus a long way
off, he ran and bowed in worship before him—then bellowed in protest, “What
business do you have, Jesus, Son of the High God, messing with me? I swear to
God, don’t give me a hard time!” (Jesus had just commanded the tormenting evil
spirit, “Out! Get out of the man!”)
9-10 Jesus asked him, “Tell me your
name.”He replied, “My name is Mob. I’m a
rioting mob.” Then he desperately begged Jesus not to banish them from the
country.
11-13 A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a
nearby hill. The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs so we can live in
them.” Jesus gave the order. But it was even worse for the pigs than for the
man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned.
14-15 Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and
told their story in town and country. Everyone wanted to see what had happened.
They came up to Jesus and saw the madman sitting there wearing decent clothes
and making sense, no longer a walking madhouse of a man.
16-17 Those who had seen it told the others what had
happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. At first they were in awe—and
then they were upset, upset over the drowned pigs. They demanded that Jesus
leave and not come back.
18-20 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the
demon-delivered man begged to go along, but he wouldn’t let him. Jesus said, “Go
home to your own people. Tell them your story—what the Master did, how he had
mercy on you.” The man went back and began to preach in the Ten Towns area about
what Jesus had done for him. He was the talk of the town.
A Risk of
Faith
21-24 After Jesus crossed over by boat, a large crowd met
him at the seaside. One of the meeting-place leaders named Jairus came. When he
saw Jesus, he fell to his knees, beside himself as he begged, “My dear daughter
is at death’s door. Come and lay hands on her so she will get well and live.”
Jesus went with him, the whole crowd tagging along, pushing and jostling
him.
25-29 A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging
for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated
her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard
about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking
to herself, “If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well.” The moment she
did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her
plague was over and done with.
30 At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from
him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
31 His disciples said, “What are you talking about? With
this crowd pushing and jostling you, you’re asking, ‘Who touched me?’ Dozens
have touched you!”
32-33 But he went on asking, looking around to see who had
done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped
up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole
story.
34 Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith,
and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your
plague.”
35 While he was still talking, some people came from the leader’s
house and told him, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any
more?”
36 Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said
to the leader, “Don’t listen to them; just trust me.”
37-40 He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter,
James, and John. They entered the leader’s house and pushed their way through
the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was
abrupt: “Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn’t dead; she’s
sleeping.” Provoked to sarcasm, they told him he didn’t know what he was talking
about.
40-43 But when he had sent them all out, he took the
child’s father and mother, along with his companions, and entered the child’s
room. He clasped the girl’s hand and said, “Talitha koum,” which means,
“Little girl, get up.” At that, she was up and walking around! This girl was
twelve years of age. They, of course, were all beside themselves with joy. He
gave them strict orders that no one was to know what had taken place in that
room. Then he said, “Give her something to eat.”