Jesus Frees a Man from Evil Spirits

5 ¹Jesus and his followers went across the lake to the area where the Gerasene people lived. ²When Jesus got out of the boat, a man came to him from the caves where dead people are buried. This man had an evil spirit [from the devil] living inside of him. ³This man lived in the burial caves. No person could tie him. Even chains could not keep this man tied. ⁴Many times people had used chains to tie the man's hands and feet. But the man broke the chains on his hands and feet. No person was strong enough to control him. ⁵Day and night the man walked around the burial caves and on the hills. The man would scream and cut himself with rocks. ⁶While Jesus was far away, the man saw him. The man ran to Jesus and bowed down before him. ^7-8Jesus said to the man, "You evil spirit, come out of that man." So the man shouted with a loud voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you to promise to God that you will not punish me!" ⁹Then Jesus asked the man, "What is your name?" The man answered, "My name is Legion,* because there are many spirits inside me." ¹⁰The spirits inside the man begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of that area. ¹¹A large herd of pigs was eating on a hill near there. ¹²The evil spirits begged Jesus, "Send us to the pigs. Let us go into them." ¹³So Jesus allowed them to do this. The evil spirits left the man and went into the pigs. Then the herd of pigs ran down the hill and into the lake. All the pigs were drowned. There were about 2,000 pigs in that herd. ¹⁴The men that had the work of caring for the pigs ran away. The men ran to the town and to the farms. They told all the people what happened. The people went out to see what happened. ¹⁵The people came to Jesus. They saw the man that had the many evil spirits. The man was sitting and was wearing clothes. His mind was right again. The people were afraid. ¹⁶Some people were there and saw what Jesus did. These people told the other people what happened to the man that had the demons* living in him. And they also told about the pigs. ¹⁷Then the people began to beg Jesus to leave their area. ¹⁸Jesus was preparing to leave in the boat. The man that was freed from the demons begged to go with Jesus. ¹⁹But Jesus did not allow the man to go. Jesus said, "Go home to your family and friends. Tell them about all the things the Lord did for you. Tell them that the Lord was good to you." ²⁰So the man left and told the people in the Ten Towns* about the great things Jesus did for him. All the people were amazed.

Legion This name means very many. A legion was about 5,000 men in the Roman army. demon(s) Demons are evil spirits from the devil. Ten Towns Greek, "Decapolis," an area on the east side of Lake Galilee. It once had ten main towns.