Jairus

21Jesus crossed the lake again by boat. A big crowd gathered around him by the water.

And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.

22A man named Jairus came to him. He was a leader of the synagogue, the place where people met to worship. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet.

And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

NoteA synagogue is a building where Jewish people meet to pray. A ruler of the synagogue helped take care of it. He picked who would read and speak there. Falling at someone's feet showed great respect.

23He begged him hard, "My little girl is almost dead. Please come and put your hands on her, so she will get well and live."

And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

NotePutting your hands on a sick person was a way of asking God to help them.

24So Jesus went with him. A big crowd followed and pressed close around him.

And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

Note"Thronged him" means the crowd pushed in close all around him.

25A woman was there who had been bleeding for twelve years.

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

Note"An issue of blood" means bleeding that would not stop. Jewish rules said no one should touch a woman who was bleeding. So for twelve years she had to stay away from other people.

26Many doctors had treated her, and she suffered a lot. She spent all her money, but she only got worse.

And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

Note"Physicians" are doctors. Doctors back then did not have medicine like ours.

27She heard about Jesus. She came up behind him in the crowd and touched his coat.

When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

Note"The press" means the thick, pushing crowd. His "garment" was the big cloak he wore over his other clothes.

28She kept saying to herself, "If I only touch his clothes, I will get well."

For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

Note"Whole" is an old word for well and healthy.

29Right away the bleeding stopped. She felt in her body that her sickness was gone.

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

Note"Straightway" means right away. "The fountain of her blood" means the bleeding. "Plague" here just means a sickness.

30Jesus knew at once that power had gone out of him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

Note"Virtue" here means power. It does not mean being good.

31His followers said, "The crowd is pushing all around you. How can you ask who touched you?"

And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

Note"The multitude" means the big crowd of people.

32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.

And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

33The woman knew what had happened to her. Shaking and afraid, she knelt in front of him and told him the whole truth.

But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

34Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your trust has made you well. Go in peace. Be free from your sickness."

And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Note"Thy faith hath made thee whole" means your trust has made you well.

35While he was still talking, people came from Jairus's house. They said, "Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?"

While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?

Note"The Master" here means the Teacher. "Why troublest thou" means why keep bothering him.

36Jesus heard what they said. He told Jairus, "Do not be afraid. Just believe."

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

37He let no one come with him except Peter, James, and John, who was James's brother.

And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

Note"Suffered no man to follow" means he let no one else come along. Peter, James, and John were three of his closest friends.

38They came to the synagogue leader's house. Jesus saw all the noise and people crying loudly.

And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.

Note"Tumult" means a lot of loud noise. When someone died, neighbors came and cried out loud together. Some people were even paid to come and cry.

39He went inside and said, "Why all this noise and crying? The child is not dead. She is asleep."

And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

Note"Ado" means fuss and noise. "Damsel" is an old word for a young girl.

40They laughed at him. He sent them all outside. Then he took the girl's father and mother and his three friends into the room where she lay.

And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

Note"Laughed him to scorn" means they laughed at him in a mean way.

41He took the girl by the hand and said, "Talitha cumi." That means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"

And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

Note"Talitha cumi" is Aramaic. That was the everyday language Jesus and his friends spoke. Mark kept the real words, then told us what they mean.

42Right away the girl got up and walked around. She was twelve years old. Everyone there was amazed.

And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

Note"Astonished with a great astonishment" means they were very, very surprised. Mark tells us her age so we know she was a big girl, not a baby.

43Jesus told them firmly not to tell anyone about it. Then he said to give her something to eat.

And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

Note"Charged them straitly" means told them firmly not to do it.

40When Jesus came back, the crowd was happy to see him. They had all been waiting for him.

And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.

41A man named Jairus came. He was a leader of the synagogue, the place where people met to worship. He fell at Jesus' feet and begged him to come to his house.

And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:

NoteA synagogue leader looked after the building and the meetings. Everyone in town knew him.

42His only daughter was about twelve years old, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the crowd pushed close around him.

For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.

43A woman there had been bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all her money on doctors. No one could make her well.

And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

NoteBy the rules of that time, bleeding like hers made her unclean. She was not allowed to touch other people. That is why she came up quietly from behind.

44She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his coat. Right away the bleeding stopped.

Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

NoteJewish men wore tassels on the corners of their coats. The tassels reminded them of God's rules. That is the "border" she touched.

45Jesus said, "Who touched me?" Everyone said it was not them. Peter and the others with him said, "Master, the crowd is pushing all around you."

And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

46Jesus said, "Someone did touch me. I felt power go out of me."

And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

NoteIn the King James, "virtue" means power. It does not mean being good.

47The woman saw she could not stay hidden. She came shaking and fell down in front of him. In front of everyone, she told why she had touched him. She told how she got well at once.

And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

48Jesus said to her, "Daughter, cheer up. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace."

And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

NoteCalling her "Daughter" was a kind, warm way to speak to her. "Go in peace" was a normal goodbye. It means, may you be well.

49While he was still talking, a man came from Jairus' house. He said, "Your daughter has died. Do not bother the Teacher now."

While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.

50Jesus heard this and said to Jairus, "Do not be afraid. Just believe, and she will be made well."

But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.

51At the house, Jesus let only a few people come in. Peter, James, and John went in, and the girl's mother and father.

And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.

NotePeter, James, and John were his three closest helpers.

52Everyone was crying and very sad for her. Jesus said, "Stop crying. She is not dead. She is asleep."

And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.

NoteWhen someone died, people cried out loud all together. Neighbors came over to cry with the family.

53They laughed at him, because they knew that she had died.

And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.

Note"Laughed him to scorn" means they made fun of him.

54Jesus sent them all outside. He took her hand and called, "Child, get up!"

And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.

Note"Maid" in the King James just means a girl.

55Her spirit came back, and she stood up right away. Jesus told them to give her something to eat.

And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.

Note"Meat" in the King James means any kind of food, not just meat.

56Her parents were amazed. But Jesus told them not to tell anyone what had happened.

And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.