Matthew 15:1-11 ▼

1 Then some scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,

2 “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?

4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’

5 But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’

6 then he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition.

7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you:

8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouths, and they honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.

9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

10 Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “Listen and understand.

11 A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”