The Tradition of the Elders
(Mark 7:1–13)

1Then came to Jesus the scribes and pharisees from Jerusalem saying, 2Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat. 3But He answered and said unto them, And why do ye transgress the commandment of God for your tradition? 4For God commanded saying, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, He that revileth father or mother, let him be put to death: 5but ye say, If any man say to his father or mother, "that which thou mightest be profited by from me is a gift to the temple," 6and so honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. And thus have ye made void the commandment of God by your tradition. 7Well did Esaias prophecy concerning you,

8saying, This people approach me with their mouth, and honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me:

9but in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the injunctions of men.

What Defiles a Man
(Mark 7:14–23)

10And He called the multitude to Him, and said unto them, Hear and understand it: 11not that which goeth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this polluteth the man.

12Whereupon his disciples came and said to Him, Dost thou know that the pharisees, when they heard this assertion, were offended at it? 13But He answered and said, Every plantation which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. 14Regard them not; for they are blind guides of the blind: and if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch.

15Then Peter answered, and said unto Him, Explain to us this parable. 16And Jesus replied, Are ye also still void of understanding?

17Do ye not yet know, that whatever goeth into the mouth passeth to the belly and is discharged downwards? 18But the things, which proceed out of the mouth, come from the heart, and those defile a man. 19For out of the heart proceed wicked disputings, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false-witnessings, slanders: 20these defile a man, but to eat without washing the hands doth not defile him.

The Faith of the Canaanite Woman
(Mark 7:24–30)

21And Jesus went from thence, and retired into the parts adjacent to Tyre and Sidon. 22And there came out of those quarters a Canaanitish woman, and cried to Him saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; for my daughter is grievously tormented by a demon. 23But he answered her not a word: and his disciples came and intreated Him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth importunately after us. 24But he answered and said, I am sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25However, she came and worshipped Him, saying, Lord help me. 26But he answered, It is not fit to take the children's bread and throw it to dogs: and she said, True, Lord; 27yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters. 28Then Jesus answering, said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it therefore unto thee as thou desirest. And her daughter was cured from that very hour.

The Feeding of the Four Thousand
(Mark 8:1–10)

29And Jesus departed from thence, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and going up to a mountain He sat down there. 30And great multitudes came to Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others; and laid them at the feet of Jesus, and He healed them. 31So that the people wondered when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed become sound, the lame walking, and the blind seeing: and they glorified the God of Israel.

32Then Jesus called his disciples to Him and said, I am moved with compassion to the multitude, for they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: I will not let them go away fasting, least they faint in the way. 33And his disciples replied, Whence can we have so much bread in this desert place as to satisfy so great a multitude? 34And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? and they said, Seven, and a few small fishes. 35Then He bid the people sit down on the ground; 36and taking the seven loaves and the fishes, when He had given thanks, He brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 37And they did all eat, and were satisfied: and they took up what was left even of fragments seven baskets full. 38Now they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.

39Then he dismissed the multitudes, and went into a ship, and came to the coasts of Magdala.