Luke 8
The Healing of a Demon-possessed Man
26They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,
which is across the lake from Galilee. 27When Jesus stepped ashore,
he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had
not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28When
he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his
voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg
you, don't torture me!" 29For Jesus had commanded the evil
spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was
chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had
been driven by the demon into solitary places.
30Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"
31"Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into
him. And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.
32A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons
begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. 33When
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.
34When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and
reported this in the town and countryside, 35and 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. 36Those who had seen it told the people how the
demon-possessed man had been cured. 37Then all the people of the
region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome
with fear. So he got into the boat and left.
38The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him,
but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39"Return home and tell how
much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how
much Jesus had done for him.