²⁹ For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon ^(A)into the desert.)

²⁵ correcting his opponents ^(A)with gentleness. God ^(B)may perhaps grant them repentance ^(C)leading to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from ^(D)the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

^12 (A)so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and ^(B)the evil spirits came out of them. ¹³ Then some of the itinerant Jewish ^(C)exorcists ^(D)undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ^(E)“I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. ¹⁵ But the evil spirit answered them, ^(F)“Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” ¹⁶ And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all^[a] of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

⁴² While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus ^(A)rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and ^(B)gave him back to his father.

³⁹ And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him.

²⁰ And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it ^(A)convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. ²¹ And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. ²² And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But ^(B)if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” ²³ And Jesus said to him, ^(C)“‘If you can’! ^(D)All things are possible for one who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out^[a] and said, “I believe; ^(E)help my unbelief!” ²⁵ And when Jesus saw that ^(F)a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ^(G)“You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” ²⁶ And after crying out and ^(H)convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.”

⁸ For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

^3 (A)He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, ⁴ for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. ⁵ Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.