3. He lived in the burial caves. No one could keep him tied up, even with chains.
4. Many times people had put chains on his hands and feet, but he broke the chains. No one was strong enough to control him.
5. Day and night he stayed around the burial caves and on the hills. He would scream and cut himself with rocks.
6. While Jesus was still far away, the man saw him. He ran to Jesus and bowed down before him.
7-8. As Jesus was saying, “You evil spirit, come out of this man,” the man shouted loudly, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you in God’s name not to punish me!”
9. Then Jesus asked the man, “What is your name?” The man answered, “My name is Legion, because there are many spirits inside me.”
10. The spirits inside the man begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of that area.
11. A large herd of pigs was eating on a hill near there.
12. The evil spirits begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs. Let us go into them.”
13. So Jesus allowed them to do this. The evil spirits left the man and went into the pigs. Then the herd of pigs ran down the hill and into the lake. They were all drowned. There were about 2000 pigs in that herd.
14. The men who had the work of caring for the pigs ran away. They ran to the town and to the farms and told everyone what happened. The people went out to see.