In Sychar Jesus taught the people in the market place.
2 A man obsessed was brought to him. The wicked spirit that possessed the man was full of violence and lust, and often threw his victim to the ground.
3 And Jesus spoke aloud and said, Base spirit, loose your hold upon the vitals of this man, and go back to your own.
4 And then the spirit begged that he might go into the body of a dog that stood near by.
5 But Jesus said, Why harm the helpless dog? Its life is just as dear to it as mine to me.
6 It is not yours to throw the burden of your sin on any living thing.
7 By your own deeds and evil thoughts you have brought all these perils on yourself. You have hard problems to be solved; but you must solve them for yourself.
8 By thus obsessing man you make your own conditions doubly sad. Go back into your own domain; refrain from harming anything, and, by and by, you will, yourself, be free.
9 The wicked spirit left the man and went unto his own. The man looked up in thankfulness and said, Praise God.
10 And many of the people brought their sick, and Jesus spoke the Word, and they were healed.