When Jesus again crossed the Sea
of Galilee in a boat to the other side, a large crowd had gathered
to meet him; so he stayed beside the sea. One of the rulers of the
synagogue, Jairus by name, came up, and, on seeing Jesus, fell at
his feet and earnestly begged him, saying, "My little daughter is
dying; come, I beg of you, and place your hands on her that she may
be cured and live." So Jesus went with him, and a great crowd
followed and pressed about him.
In the crowd was a woman who had suffered from hemorrhage for twelve
years and had been treated by many physicians, spending all that she
had, yet was none the better, but rather had grown worse. Having
heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched
his robe, for she said to herself, "If I can but touch his garments,
I shall be cured."
Immediately the hemorrhage stopped, and she knew that she was cured
of her disease. Jesus, knowing at once that healing power had gone
from him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched my
garments?" His disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing
around you, and yet do you ask, 'Who touched me?'" But still he
looked for her who had done this, until the woman, frightened and
trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came forward and fell
down before him and told him the truth. He said to her, "Daughter,
your faith has cured you. Go and live in peace, and be healed of
your disease."
While Jesus was still speaking, messengers came from the house of
the ruler of the synagogue, saying, "Your daughter is dead. Why
trouble the Master further?" But Jesus, overhearing the message,
said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Have no fear, only trust."
Jesus would allow no one to go with him except Peter and James and
John the brother of James. When they came to the house of the ruler
of the synagogue, he found a crowd of people weeping aloud and
wailing. Entering, Jesus said to them, "Why are you making an uproar
and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep." And they laughed at
him scornfully. But he sent them out and took the father and mother
of the child and those who were with him into the room where she
was. Then, taking her by the hand, he said to her, "Talitha koumi,"
which means, "Little girl, arise." To the astonishment of all, the
little girl (who was twelve years of age) got up at once and walked
about. But Jesus charged them strictly to let no one know of this,
and told them to give the little girl something to eat.