Mark 5
1When the storm was finished, Jesus and his followers went to the other side of the lake where the Ger-a-zeen (Gerasene) people lived.
2In that place there was a man that had a bad spirit in him, and he lived in the cemetery. He was really strong and no-one could hold him or make him sit down quiet. People tried to tie him up with chains, but he just broke them. He was so mad that all day and all night he walked around the cemetery and all over the hills screaming and cutting himself with stones.
6That cemetery was a long way from the water, but when the man saw Jesus getting out of the boat, he ran to him and fell down on his knees in front of Jesus.
7Jesus said to the bad spirit, “Come out of this man.” But the spirit inside the man made him yell out, “Why did you come here? I know who you are. You are Jesus. You are the son of the Most Powerful God, so please do not hurt me.”
9Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” The bad spirit said, “I am called the Big Mob. There are a lot of us bad spirits living inside this man.”
10The bad spirit asked Jesus again and again saying, “Please do not send us away from this country.”
11At that time there were a lot of pigs feeding on a hill next to the water.
12Those bad spirits said to Jesus, “Just send us into that big mob of pigs over there.”
13So Jesus sent the bad spirits out of the man and they went into the pigs. Straight away the pigs ran down the hill into the water and drowned.
14The men who looked after the pigs ran back to the town and to all the farms in that part of the country to tell everyone what had happened to the pigs. All the people ran to find out what had happened.
15When they came to where Jesus and his followers were standing, they saw the man that used to have bad spirits in him sitting down quiet. He was not mad anymore and he was wearing clothes. They were all frightened.
16When the men that looked after the pigs told everyone what had happened again,
17they asked Jesus to go away from their country and leave them alone.
18Jesus listened to them, but as he was getting into the boat, the man that used to have the bad spirits said to Jesus, “Can I come with you?”
19Jesus said, “No, I want you to go home to your community and to your family, and tell them all the good things God has done for you. Tell them that God was sorry for you and wanted you to be free from those bad spirits.”
20The man went all over that country called Ten Towns and he told everybody what Jesus did for him, and everyone was really amazed. And you can read this story in Matthew 9:18-26 and in Luke 8:40-56
21Jesus and his followers got into the boat and went back to the other side of the lake. When Jesus was standing on the dry ground a really big crowd of people came to him. They were standing all around him next to the water.
22There was a man in the crowd whose name was Jairus. Jairus was one of the leaders for the Jewish meeting place near there. When Jairus saw Jesus, he went and fell down on his knees in front of him.
23He cried and asked Jesus to help him. He said, “My little girl is really sick and I think she will die. I know you can make her better, so please come and put your hands on her so that she will get better and live.”
24Jesus listened to the man, and started to go with him. A lot of people went with them too and they were all walking close to Jesus.
25In that crowd there was a woman that had been bleeding for 12 years. She had gone to see every doctor but none of them helped her. She had spent all her money trying to get better, but it was no good, she only got worse! One day someone told her about Jesus and she said to herself, “If I can just touch his coat, I will get better!” So she came up behind Jesus and touched his coat.
29Straight away her bleeding stopped and she knew that she was better.
30Jesus knew that some power had gone out from him, so he stopped walking, and turned around. He said, “Who touched my clothes?”
31Jesus' followers said, “There is a big crowd of people around you. Why do you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
32Jesus kept on looking around to find the person that had touched him.
33And the woman that had touched Jesus' coat was so frightened, she was shaking. She knew that she was the one that Jesus was looking for, and so she went to him and got down on her knees in front of him. Then she told him everything that had happened to her.
34Jesus said to her, “Dear woman, I can see that you trust me and so now you are better. Go home and stop worrying. You are not sick anymore.”
35While Jesus was talking to the woman, some people from Jairus' house came to him with bad news. They said, “I am sorry, it's too late. Your little girl is dead, and the teacher does not need to come now.”
36Jesus listened to what the people said, but he took no notice. He said to Jairus, “Do not be frightened, just trust me.”
37Jesus said to the crowd, “Stay here, I don't want all of you to come with me.” He left most of the crowd behind and went with the girl's father. The only people allowed to go with him were Peter, James and his brother John.
38When they got to the house, Jesus saw a lot of people crying and shouting out loud.
39He went inside, and he asked them, “Why are you so upset, and why are you crying so much? That little girl is not dead. She is just sleeping.”
40When the people laughed at him, he sent them all outside. Then Jesus and the girl's mother and father went into the girl's room. Peter, James and John went with them.
41Jesus held the girl's hand and said to her in her own language, “Get up little girl.”
42Straight away, the girl got up and started to walk around the room. Her mother and father were really shocked to see their 12 year old daughter alive again.
43Jesus said to them, “You must not tell anyone what I did here today, but now, give her something to eat.”