Mark 7:1-13 ▼

1 The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem,

2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.

3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, [thus] observing the traditions of the elders;

4 and [when they come] from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.)

5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, |Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?|

6 And He said to them, |Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.

7 BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'

8 |Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.|

9 He was also saying to them, |You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.

10 |For Moses said, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER; and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH';

11 but you say, 'If a man says to [his] father or [his] mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given [to God]),'

12 you no longer permit him to do anything for [his] father or [his] mother;

13 [thus] invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.|