legion

many
—The reasons for not smoking are legion.

Near the Sea of Galilee, there was a man living among the tombs who was possessed by unclean (evil) spirits. He was so violent that the people tried to chain him up, but he broke the chains. Jesus came to where he was, and when he saw Jesus, he ran to him, bowed down, and yelled,

“Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I implore you by God—do not torment me!” (For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!”) Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” He begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of the region. There on the hillside, a great herd of pigs was feeding. And the demonic spirits begged him, “Send us into the pigs. Let us enter them.” Jesus gave them permission. So the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about two thousand were drowned in the lake. (Mark 5:7-13)

A legion in the Roman army contained about 6,000 soldiers. Here, legion means “a large number,” as it does today.

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