Matthew 15:1-28 ▼

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

2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

3 And He answered and said to them, “And why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?

4 “For God said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM BE PUT TO DEATH.’

5 “But you say, ‘Whoever shall say to his father or mother, “Anything of mine you might have been helped by has been given to God,”

6 he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And thus you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

7 “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

8 ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.

9 ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’”

10 And after He called the multitude to Him, He said to them, “Hear, and understand.

11 “Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”

12 Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?”

13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up.

14 “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

15 And Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain the parable to us.”

16 And He said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also?

17 “Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?

18 “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.

19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.

20 “These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

21 And Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon.

22 And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from that region, and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.”

23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came to Him and kept asking Him, saying, “Send her away, for she is shouting out after us.”

24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25 But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

26 And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

27 But she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.