Hebrews
Chapter 11

32 What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,

33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises; they closed the mouths of lions,

34 put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders.

35 Women received back their dead through resurrection. Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection.

36 Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment.

37 They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword's point; they went about in skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented.

38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in deserts and on mountains, in caves and in crevices in the earth.

39 Yet all these, though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised.

40 God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect. ¹

Psalms
Chapter 31

19 Strike dumb their lying lips, proud lips that attack the just in contempt and scorn.

20 How great is your goodness, Lord, stored up for those who fear you. You display it for those who trust you, in the sight of all the people.

21 You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from scheming enemies. You keep them in your abode, safe from plotting tongues.

22 Blessed be the LORD, who has shown me wondrous love, and been for me a city most secure.

23 Once I said in my anguish, "I am shut out from your sight." Yet you heard my plea, when I cried out to you.

Mark
Chapter 5

1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes.

2 When he got out of the boat, at once a man ² from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.

3 The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.

4 In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.

5 Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.

6 Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him,

7 crying out in a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, ³ Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!"

8 (He had been saying to him, "Unclean spirit, come out of the man!")

9 He asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "Legion is my name. There are many of us."

10 And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory.

11 Now a large herd of swine ⁵ was feeding there on the hillside.

12 And they pleaded with him, "Send us into the swine. Let us enter them."

13 And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned.

14 The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened.

15 As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear.

16 Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine.

17 Then they began to beg him to leave their district.

18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.

19 But he would not permit him but told him instead, "Go home ⁶ to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you."

20 Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.