^17 [a]Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who stands within, eating pig’s flesh, abominable things, and mice, shall all together come to an end, with their deeds and purposes—oracle of the Lord.

Pearls Before Swine. ⁶ “Do not give what is holy to dogs,^[a] or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.^(A)

³⁰ Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.^{[a] 31} The demons pleaded with him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”^{(A) 32} And he said to them, “Go then!” They came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned.

¹¹ Now a large herd of swine^[a] 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.

³² A herd of many swine was feeding there on the hillside, and they pleaded with him to allow them to enter those swine; and he let them. ³³ The demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

¹⁵ So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. ¹⁶ And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.