Matthew 8

Evangelical Heritage Version

Jesus Heals a Leper

8 When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. ² Just then, a leper came to him and bowed down to him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

³ Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean.” Immediately he was healed of his leprosy. ⁴ Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one. Instead, go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

A Believing Centurion

⁵ When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him and pleaded with him, ⁶ “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed and suffering terribly.”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

⁸ The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof. But only say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I am also a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he marveled. He said to those who were following him, “Amen I tell you: I have not found such great faith in anyone in Israel. ¹¹ I tell you that many will come from the east and the west and will recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² But the children of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

¹³ Jesus said to the centurion, “Go. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Jesus Heals Many

¹⁴ When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever. ¹⁵ He touched her hand, and the fever left her. She got up and began to serve him. ¹⁶ When evening came, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He took up our weaknesses and carried away our diseases.”^[a]

Follow Jesus

¹⁸ When Jesus saw a large crowd gathering around him, he gave orders to go over to the other shore.

¹⁹ Then an expert in the law came and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

²⁰ Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

²¹ Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms the Storm

²³ When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a terrible storm came up on the sea, so that their boat was covered by the waves. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ They went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!”

²⁶ He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a complete calm.

²⁷ The men were amazed, saying, “What kind of a man is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

Two Demon-Possessed Men and a Herd of Pigs

²⁸ When he arrived at the other side, in the region of the Gergesenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him there. They were very dangerous, so that nobody could pass that way. ²⁹ Suddenly they cried out, “What do we have to do with you, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” ³⁰ There was a large herd of pigs feeding some distance away from them. ³¹ The demons begged him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

³² He told them, “Go!”

So the demons came out of the men and went into the pigs. Immediately the whole herd of pigs rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the water. ³³ Those who were feeding the pigs fled and went into the town. They reported everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.