Mark 5 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Jesus and his followers went across the lake to the area where the Gerasene people lived.

² When 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.

³ This man lived in the burial caves. No person could tie him. Even chains could not keep this man tied.

⁴ Many 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.

⁵ Day and night the man walked around the burial caves and on the hills. The man would scream and cut himself with rocks.

^6-8 While Jesus was far away, the man saw him. The man ran to Jesus and bowed down before him.

⁹ Then Jesus asked the man, “What is your name?”

¹⁰ The spirits inside the man begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of that area.

¹¹ A large herd of pigs was eating on a hill near there.

¹² The evil spirits begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs. Let us go into them.”

¹³ So 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.

¹⁴ The 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.

¹⁵ The people came to Jesus. They saw the man that had the many evil spirits. The man was sitting and was wearing clothes. He was in his right mind again. The people were afraid.

¹⁶ Some people were there and saw what Jesus did. These people told the other people what happened to the man that had the demons {\cf2\super [55]} living in him. And they also told about the pigs.

¹⁷ Then the people began to beg Jesus to leave their area.

¹⁸ Jesus was preparing to leave in the boat. The man that was freed from the demons begged to go with Jesus.

¹⁹ But 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.”

²⁰ So the man left and told the people in the Ten Towns {\cf2\super [56]} about the great things Jesus did for him. All the people were amazed.

²¹ Jesus went in the boat back across to the other side of the lake. There, many people gathered around him by the lake.

²² A leader of the synagogue {\cf2\super [57]} came to that place. His name was Jairus. Jairus saw Jesus and bowed down before him.

²³ Jairus begged and begged Jesus. He said, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her. Then she will be healed and will live.”

²⁴ So Jesus went with Jairus. Many people followed Jesus. They were pushing very close around him.

²⁵ A woman was there among the people. This woman had been bleeding for the past twelve years.

²⁶ The woman suffered very much. Many doctors tried to help her. All the money she had was spent. But she was not improving. Her sickness was becoming worse.

²⁷ The woman heard about Jesus. So she followed Jesus with the people and touched his coat.

²⁸ The woman thought, “If I can touch his clothes, that will be enough to heal me.”

²⁹ When the woman touched his coat, her bleeding stopped. The woman felt that her body was healed from the suffering.

³⁰ And Jesus felt power go out from him. So he stopped and turned around. Then he asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

³¹ The followers said to Jesus, “There are many people pushing against you. But you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”

³² But Jesus continued looking for the person that touched him.

³³ The woman knew that she was healed. So she came and bowed at Jesus’ feet. The woman was shaking with fear. She told Jesus the whole story.

³⁴ Jesus said to the woman, “Dear woman, you are made well because you believed. Go in peace. You will have no more suffering.”

³⁵ Jesus was still there speaking. Some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue {\cf2\super [58]} leader. The men said, “Your daughter is dead. There is now no need to bother the teacher (Jesus).”

³⁶ But Jesus did not care what the men said. Jesus said to the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid; only believe.”

³⁷ Jesus let only Peter, James, and John the brother of James go with him.

³⁸ Jesus and these followers went to the house of Jairus, the synagogue {\cf2\super [59]} leader. Jesus saw many people there crying loudly. There was much confusion.

³⁹ Jesus entered the house and said to the people, “Why are you people crying and making so much noise? This child is not dead. She is only sleeping.”

⁴⁰ But all the people laughed at Jesus. Jesus told the people to leave the house. Then Jesus went into the room where the child was. He brought the child’s father and mother and his three followers into the room with him.

⁴¹ Then Jesus held the girl’s hand and said to her, “Talitha, koum!” (This means, “Little girl, I tell you to stand up!”)

⁴² The girl stood up and began walking. (The girl was twelve years old.) The father and mother and the followers were amazed.

⁴³ Jesus gave the father and mother very strict orders not to tell people about this. Then Jesus told them to give the girl some food to eat.