The Traditions of the Elders

1Thea •Phariseesb and some of the •scribesc who had come from Jerusalemd gathered around Him. 2They observed that some of His disciples were eating their bread with •uncleane — that is, unwashed — hands. 3(For the Pharisees, in fact all the Jews, will not eat unless they wash their hands ritually, keeping the tradition of the elders. 4When they come from the marketplace,f they do not eat unless they have washed.g And there are many other customs they have received and keep, like the washing of cups, jugs, copper utensils, and dining couches.h, i) 5Then the Phariseesj and the scribesk asked Him, “Why don’t Your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders,l instead of eating bread with ritually uncleanm hands? ”

6He answered them, “Isaiahn prophesiedo correctly about you hypocrites,p as it is written:q

These people honorr Me with their lips,

but their heart is far from Me.

7They worship Me in vain,

teachings as doctrinest the commandsu of men.v,w

8Disregarding the command of God, you keep the tradition of men.”x 9He also said to them, “You completely invalidate God’s command in order to maintainy your tradition! 10For Mosesz said:

Honor your father and your mother;aa,ab and

Whoever speaks evil of father or mother

must be put to death.ac,ad

11But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or mother: Whatever benefitae you might have received from me is Corban’ ” (that is, a giftaf committed to the temple), 12“you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13You revoke God’s wordag by your tradition that you have handedah down. And you do many other similar things.” 14Summoningai the crowd again, He told them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:aj 15Nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him. 16If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen! ”ak

17When He went into the house away from the crowd, the disciples asked Him about the parable. 18And He said to them, “Are you also as lacking in understanding? Don’t you realize that nothing going into a man from the outside can defile him? 19For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomachal and is eliminated.”am (As a result, He made all foods •clean.an, ao) 20Then He said, “What comes out of a person — that defiles him. 21For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities,ap thefts, murders,aq 22adulteries,ar greed,as evil actions, deceit,at promiscuity,au stinginess,av blasphemy,aw pride,ax and foolishness.ay 23All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”

A Gentile Mother’s Faith

24He got up and departed fromaz there to the region of Tyreba and Sidon.bb, bc He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it, but He could not escape notice. 25Instead, immediately after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spiritbd came and fell at His feet.be 26Now the woman was Greek,bf a Syrophoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to drive the demonbg out of her daughter. 27He said to her, “Allow the children to be satisfied first, because it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”bh

28But she replied to Him, “Lord,bi even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

29Then He told her, “Because of this reply, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30When she went back to her home, she found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

Jesus Does Everything Well

31Again, leaving the region of Tyre,bj He went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,bk throughbl the region of the •Decapolis.bm 32They brought to Him a deafbn man who also had a speech difficulty,bo and begged Jesus to lay His hand onbp him. 33So He took him away from the crowd privately. After putting His fingers in the man’s ears and spitting,bq He touched his tongue. 34Then, looking up to heaven,br He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!”bs (that is, “Be opened! ”). 35Immediately his ears were opened,bt his speech difficulty was removed,bu and he began to speak clearly.bv 36Then He ordered them to tell no one,bw but the more He would order them, the more they would proclaimbx it.

37They were extremely astonished and said, “He has done everything well!by He even makes deafbz people hear, and people unable to speak,ca talk! ”