Kwathi-ke ngolunye lwalezo zinsuku wangena emkhunjini, yena kanye nabafundi bakhe, wathi kubo: “Asiwele siye ngaphesheya kolwandle.” Basuka-ke. Kuthe besahamba ngomkhumbi, walala ubuthongo; kwehlela-ke isivunguvungu somoya elwandle, bagcwala amanzi, babesengozini.
Base besondela, bamvusa bathi: “Nkosi, Nkosi, safa.”
Wavuka-ke, wakhuza umoya nokugubha kwamanzi. Kwanqamuka, kwathula kwathi du.
Wayesethi kubo: “Kuphi ukukholwa kwenu na?”
Besaba; bamangala, bathi omunye komunye: “Ungubani lo ukuba ayale nomoya namanzi, kumlalele?”
Bafika ngomkhumbi ezweni lamaGerasa elibhekene neGalile. Esephumele emhlabathini, kwamhlangabeza indoda ethile yomuzi eyayinamademoni; kwase kuyisikhathi eside ingembathi ngubo, ingahlali endlini kodwa emathuneni. Isimbona uJesu yadazuluka, yawa phansi phambi kwakhe, yathi ngezwi elikhulu: “Nginamsebenzi muni nawe Jesu, Ndodana kaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke? Ngiyakuncenga, ungangihluphi.” Ngokuba wayala umoya ongcolileyo ukuba aphume kulowo muntu. Ngokuba wayesembambe kaningi; walindwa eboshwe ngawozankosi nangamaketanga ezinyawo; kepha wathi esegqabule izibopho, waqhutshelwa yidemoni ehlane.
UJesu wambuza wathi: “Ungubani igama lakho?”
Wathi: “ULegiyona,*” ngokuba amademoni amaningi ayengene kuye. Amncenga ukuba angawayali ukuya kwalasha.
Kwakukhona lapho umhlambi wezingulube eziningi ziklabile entabeni; amncenga ukuba awavumele angene kuzo; wawavumela. Aphuma-ke amademoni kuye umuntu, angena ezingulubeni, umhlambi wagulukudela eweni, waphonseka elwandle, waminza.
Kwathi ababezalusa bebona okwenzekileyo, babaleka, bakubika emzini nasemaphandleni. Khona baphuma ukuyobona okwenzekileyo, bafika kuJesu, bamfumanisa umuntu okuphume kuye amademoni ehlezi ngasezinyaweni zikaJesu embethe, esangulukile; bashaywa luvalo. Ababekubonile babatshela ukuthi usinde kanjani owayekhwelwe ngamademoni. Abantu bonke bakulelo zwe lamaGerasa bamcela ukuba amuke kubo, ngokuba babephethwe ngukwesaba okukhulu; yena wayesengena emkhunjini, waphindela emuva.
Kepha indoda okuphume kuyo amademoni yamnxusa ukuba ibe naye; kodwa wayimukisa, ethi: “Buyela ekhaya, ulande ukuthi kungakanani uNkulunkulu akwenzele khona.” Wamuka elanda emzini wonke ngokuthi kungakanani abekwenzelwe nguye uJesu.
Kepha ekubuyeni kwakhe uJesu isixuku samthakazela; ngokuba bonke babembhekile. Bheka, kwafika indoda, nguJayiru igama layo, ingumphathi wesinagoge,* yaziphonsa phansi ngasezinyaweni zikaJesu, yamncenga ukuba angene endlini yayo. Ngokuba yayinendodakazi eyodwa kungathi ineminyaka eyishumi nambili, yona isifa.
Kepha esahamba, izixuku zamminyanisa. Owesifazane owayenomopho iminyaka eyishumi nambili, esekhokhele izinyanga konke abephila ngakho, engenakuphulukiswa muntu, weza ngasemuva, wathinta umphetho wengubo yakhe; kwanqamuka masinyane ukugobhoza kwegazi lakhe.
UJesu wathi: “Ngubani ongithintileyo na?” Bephika bonke, wathi uPetru nababe naye: “Nkosi, izixuku ziyakuminyanisa, zikucindezele.”
Kepha uJesu wathi: “Ukhona ongithintileyo, ngokuba ngizwile kuphuma amandla kimi.”
Owesifazane ebona ukuthi kanakufihleka, weza ethuthumela, eziphonsa phansi phambi kwakhe, walanda phambi kwabantu bonke isisusa sokuba amthinte nokuthi usinde khona lapho. Wayesethi kuye: “Ndodakazi, ukukholwa kwakho kukusindisile; hamba, ube nokuthula.”
Esakhuluma, kwafika othile evela kwamphathi wesinagoge,* wathi kuye: “Indodakazi yakho isifile; ungabe usamkhathaza uMfundisi.”
Kepha uJesu ekuzwa lokho wamphendula wathi: “Ungesabi, kholwa kuphela; izakusinda.”
Esefike endlini kavumanga ukuba kungene muntu naye, kuphela oPetru, noJohane, noJakobe, noyise wentombazana, nonina. Babekhala bonke beyililela; kepha wathi: “Ningakhali; ayifile, kodwa ilele.”
Bamhleka usulu, bazi ukuthi ifile. Kepha yena wayibamba ngesandla, wamemeza wathi: “Ntombazana, vuka!” Wabuyela umoya wayo, yavuka khona lapho; wayala ukuba inikwe ukudla. Abazali bayo bethuka; wabayala ukuba bangatsheli muntu okwenzekileyo.