^8:32Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside,¹¹⁵ and the demonic spirits¹¹⁶ begged Jesus¹¹⁷ to let them go into them. He gave them permission.¹¹⁸^8:33So¹¹⁹ the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd of pigs¹²⁰ rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned. ^8:34When¹²¹ the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran off and spread the news¹²² in the town¹²³ and countryside. ^8:35So¹²⁴ the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They¹²⁵ found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. ^8:36Those¹²⁶ who had seen it told them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed.¹²⁷

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Footnotes

115 Grk “mountain,” but this might give the English reader the impression of a far higher summit.
116 Grk “they”; the referent (the demonic spirits) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
117 Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
118 Many have discussed why Jesus gave them permission, since the animals were destroyed. However, this is another example of a miracle that is a visual lesson. The demons are destructive: They were destroying the man. They destroyed the pigs. They destroy whatever they touch. The point was to take demonic influence seriously, as well as Jesus’ power over it as a picture of the larger battle for human souls. There would be no doubt how the man’s transformation had taken place.
119 Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.
120 The words “of pigs” are supplied because of the following verb in English, “were drowned,” which is plural.
121 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
122 Or “reported it.” This verb is used three times in the next few verses (vv. 36, 37), showing how the healing became a major topic of conversation in the district.
123 Or “city.”
124 Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the people’s response to the report.
125 Grk “Jesus, and they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
126 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
127 Or “had been delivered”; Grk “had been saved.” This should not be understood as an expression for full salvation. They were only discussing the healing.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged him to permit them to enter the pigs, and he gave them permission. The demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

When the men who tended them saw what had happened, they ran off and reported it in the town and in the countryside. Then people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man the demons had departed from, sitting at Jesus’s feet, dressed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Meanwhile, the eyewitnesses reported to them how the demon-possessed man was delivered.

NLTNew Living Translation

There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons begged him to let them enter into the pigs.

So Jesus gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned.

When the herdsmen saw it, they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Now there was a large herd of pigs feeding there on the hill, and they implored him that he would permit them to enter into those pigs. And he permitted them. So the demons came out of the man and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed headlong down the steep slope into the lake and were drowned. And when the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and reported it in the town and in the countryside. So they went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting there clothed and in his right mind, at the feet of Jesus, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed.

KJV 1900King James Version

And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked. When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.

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