Luke 8:26–40

Demons are Cast into Swine

Matt. 8:28–34; Mark 5:1–20

^26uThen they sailed to the country of the ²Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons ³for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. ²⁸When he saw Jesus, he ^vcried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, ^w“What have I to do with ^xYou, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” ²⁹For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.

³⁰Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?”

And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. ³¹And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out ^yinto the abyss.

³²Now a herd of many ^zswine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. ³³Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.

³⁴When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. ³⁵Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, ^asitting at the ^bfeet of Jesus, clothed and in his ^cright mind. And they were afraid. ³⁶They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was ⁴healed. ^37dThen the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the ⁵Gadarenes ^easked Him to ^fdepart from them, for they were seized with great ^gfear. And He got into the boat and returned.

³⁸Now ^hthe man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹“Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

⁴⁰So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.