Matthew 8
1 When Jesus went down from the hillside, large crowds followed him.
And when he had descended from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
2 [After he left the crowds], a man who had [the skin disease called] leprosy unexpectedly came and knelt before him. He said [to Jesus], “Lord/Sir, [please heal me, because I know] you are able to heal me if you are willing to.”
And behold, a leper, drawing near, adored him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you are able to cleanse me.”
3 Then Jesus, [disregarding the religious law that forbade people to come close to lepers], stretched out his hand and touched the man. He said [to him], “I am willing to [heal you], and I heal you [now]!” Immediately the man was healed from his leprosy {he was no longer a leper}.
And Jesus, extending his hand, touched him, saying: “I am willing. Be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4 Then Jesus said to him, “Go and show yourself to a [nearby] priest [so that he can examine you and verify that you no longer have leprosy]. [Then], after he tells [the local people], they will know [that you no longer have leprosy], [and you will be able to associate with them again]. Make sure that [now] you do not report [about my healing you] to anyone [other than the priest]. Then go [to the Temple in Jerusalem and give the priest] the offering that Moses commanded [that people who have been healed from leprosy should offer] as a sacrifice to God.”
And Jesus said to him: “See to it that you tell no one. But go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses instructed, as a testimony for them.”
5 When Jesus went to Capernaum [city], a [Roman] officer who commanded 100 soldiers came to him. He begged Jesus [to help him].
And when he had entered into Capernaum, a centurion approached, petitioning him,
6 He said [to him], “Sir, my servant is lying [in bed] at home and is paralyzed, and he has severe pain.”
and saying, “Lord, my servant lies at home paralyzed and badly tormented.”
7 Jesus said [to him], “I will go [to your house] and heal him.”
And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 But the officer said [to him], “Lord/Sir, [do not bother to go. I am a non-Jew], so I am not worthy for you, [a Jew], to come into my house [MTY] [and associate with me]. Instead, [just] command [that] my servant [be healed], and he will be healed.
And responding, the centurion said: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed.
9 I [believe this] because, as for me, I am a man under the authority of others, and I also have soldiers under my authority. When I say to one of them ‘Go!’ he goes. When I say to another ‘Come!’ he comes. When I say to my slave, ‘Do this!’ he does it. [And I believe that you speak with a similar kind of authority].”
For I, too, am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to 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 the crowd that was walking with him, “Listen to this: I have never before found anyone who has as firm a faith [in me as this non-Jewish man has]. Not even in Israel, [where I would expect people to believe in me], have I found anyone who has the kind of faith in me that he has!
And, hearing this, Jesus wondered. And he said to those following him: “Amen I say to you, I have not found so great a faith in Israel.
11 I tell you truly that many [other non-Jewish people] who [will believe in me like this Roman officer] will come from [distant countries, including] those [far] to the east and far to the west [SYN], and they will sit down to eat with [MTY] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in heaven, where God rules.
For I say to you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and they shall sit at table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But [the Jews] [IDM] [who should have allowed] God to rule over them will be sent to [hell, where there is] total darkness. And as a result, they will weep [because of their suffering] and will grind their teeth [because they will have severe pain] [MTY].” (questioned)
But the sons of the kingdom shall be cast into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the officer, “Go [home]. What you believed [would happen], [that I would heal your servant from a distance], will happen.” [Then the officer went home and found out that] his servant became well at the exact time [that Jesus told him that he would heal him].
And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go, and just as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And the servant was healed at that very hour.
14 When Jesus [and some of his disciples] went to the home of Peter, Jesus saw Peter’s mother-in-law. She was lying on a bed because she had a fever.
And when Jesus had arrived at the house of Peter, he saw his mother-in-law lying ill with a fever.
15 He touched her hand, and as a result, [immediately] she no longer had a fever [PRS]. Then she got up and served them [some food].
And he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose up and ministered to them.
16 That evening [when] ([the Sabbath/the Jewish rest day]) [ended and restrictions about traveling ended], many people who were controlled by demons {whom demons controlled} [and people who were sick] [MTY] [were] brought to Jesus. He caused the demons to leave just by speaking to them, and he healed all the people who were sick.
And when evening arrived, they brought to him many who had demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word. And he healed all those having maladies,
17 By doing this he fulfilled the words that had been said by the prophet Isaiah {that the prophet Isaiah had said} [about the Messiah]: “He healed people who had sicknesses and he cured them of their diseases.” [DOU]
in order to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah, saying, “He took our infirmities, and he carried away our diseases.”
18 Jesus saw the crowd around him, but [he needed to rest]. So he told [his disciples to take him by boat] to the other side [of the lake].
Then Jesus, seeing the great crowds encircling him, gave orders to go across the sea.
19 [As they were walking toward the boat], a man who taught the [Jewish] laws came to him and said, “Teacher, I will go with you wherever you go.”
And one scribe, approaching, said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you will go.”
20 [In order that the man might know what he could expect if he went with him], Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes [in the ground in which to live], and birds have nests, but [even though I] am the one who came from heaven, I do not have a home where I can sleep [MTY].”
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to rest his head.”
21 Another man who was one of Jesus’ disciples said to him, “Sir/Lord, permit me first to go [home. After] my father [dies I will] bury him, [and then I will come with you].”
Then another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus said to him, “Come with me [now]. [God considers that people who do not have eternal life are] dead [MET]. Let those people [do the work of] burying people who die.”
But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and allow the dead to bury their dead.”
23 Then Jesus got into the boat. The disciples also got [in, and] they [started sailing close to the shoreline around Lake Galilee].
And climbing into a boat, his disciples followed him.
24 Suddenly strong winds blew on the lake, and very high waves were splashing into the boat and filling it. But Jesus was sleeping.
And behold, a great tempest occurred in the sea, so much so that the boat was covered with waves; yet truly, he was sleeping.
25 They went and woke him up, and said [to him], “Sir/Lord, rescue [us!] We are about to drown!”
And his disciples drew near to him, and they awakened him, saying: “Lord, save us, we are perishing.”
26 He said [to them], “(You should not be terrified!/Why are you terrified?) [RHQ] I [am disappointed that in spite of all you have seen me do], (you do not believe very much [that I can rescue you./] you not believe [that I can rescue you]?) [RHQ]” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and told the waves to calm down. And [the wind stopped blowing and the lake] became calm.
And Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid, O little in faith?” Then rising up, he commanded the winds, and the sea. And a great tranquility occurred.
27 [As a result], they were amazed, and they said [to one another], “This man is certainly an [extraordinary] person [RHQ]! [All things are under his control!] Even the winds and the waves obey him [PRS]!”
Moreover, the men wondered, saying: “What kind of man is this? For even the winds and the sea obey him.”
28 When they came to the [east] side [of the lake], they arrived in the region where the Gadarenes [lived]. [Jesus got out of the boat and began walking on the road. Then] two men who were controlled by demons {whom demons controlled} came out of the burial caves [where they were living]. Because they were extremely violent [and attacked people], no one dared to travel on the road [near where they were living].
And when he had arrived across the sea, into the region of the Gerasenes, he was met by two who had demons, who were so exceedingly savage, as they went out from among the tombs, that no one was able to cross by that way.
29 Suddenly they shouted [to Jesus], “You are the Son of God! [Because] you have nothing in common with us [IDM, RHQ], [leave us alone] Have you come here [RHQ] to torture us before the time [MTY] [God has appointed to punish us]?”
And behold, they cried out, saying: “What are we to you, O Jesus, the Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
30 There was a large herd of pigs not far away, digging for food with their noses.
Now there was, not far from them, a herd of many swine feeding.
31 So the demons begged Jesus, saying, “You are going to cast us out of the men, so send us into the herd of pigs!”
Then the demons petitioned him, saying: “If you cast us from here, send us into the herd of swine.”
32 Jesus said [to them], “[If that is what you want], go!” So the demons left [the men] and entered the pigs. Suddenly the whole herd [of pigs] rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
And he said to them, “Go.” And they, going out, went into the swine. And behold, the entire herd suddenly rushed along a steep place into the sea. And they died in the waters.
33 The men who were tending the pigs [became afraid and] ran into the town and reported everything [that had happened], including what had happened to the two men who had been controlled by demons {whom demons had controlled}.
Then the shepherds fled, and arriving in the city, they reported on all this, and on those who had had the demons.
34 Then [it seemed as if] all [the people] [HYP] [who lived in] that town [MTY] went to meet Jesus. When they saw him [and the two men who had been controlled by the demons], they begged Jesus to leave their region [because they thought that he would destroy more things than just the pigs] (OR, [because they realized he must be very powerful]).
And behold, the entire city went out to meet Jesus. And having seen him, they petitioned him, so that he would cross from their borders.
