Read the Bible

Followers of Tradition

^1 (C1)The Pharisees and some of the scribes ^(*)gathered to Him after they came ^(C2)from Jerusalem,² and saw that some of His disciples were eating their bread with ^(F1)(C1)unholy hands, that is, unwashed.³ (For the Pharisees and all the other Jews do not eat unless they ^(F1)carefully wash their hands, thereby holding firmly to the ^(C1)tradition of the elders;⁴ and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they ^(F1)completely cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received as traditions to firmly hold, such as the ^(F2)washing of ^(C1)cups, pitchers, and copper pots.)⁵ And the Pharisees and the scribes ^(*)asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk in accordance with the ^(C1)tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with ^(F1)(C2)unholy hands?"⁶ But He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:

'^(C1)THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.

⁷ '^(C1)AND IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.'

⁹ He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your ^(C1)tradition.¹⁰ "For Moses said, '^(C1)HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, '^(C2)THE ONE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS ^(F1)CERTAINLY TO BE PUT TO DEATH';¹¹ but you say, 'If a person says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is ^(C1)Corban (that is, ^(F1)given to God),'¹² you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother;¹³ thereby invalidating the word of God by your ^(C1)tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that."

The Heart of Mankind

¹⁴ After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:¹⁵ there is nothing outside the person which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which come out of the person are what defile the person^(F1)."

¹⁷ And when He later entered a house, away from the crowd, ^(C1)His disciples asked Him about the parable.¹⁸ And He ^(*)said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding as well? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the person from outside cannot defile him,¹⁹ because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and ^(F1)is eliminated?" (Thereby He declared ^(C1)all foods ^(C2)clean.)²⁰ And He was saying, "^(C1)That which comes out of the person, that is what defiles the person.²¹ "For from within, out of the ^(F1)hearts of people, come the evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, acts of adultery,²² deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behavior, ^(F1)(C1)envy, slander, ^(F2)pride, and foolishness.²³ "All these evil things come from within and defile the person."

The Syrophoenician Woman

^24 (C1)Now Jesus got up and went from there to the region of ^(C2)Tyre^(F1). And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know about it; and yet He could not escape notice.²⁵ But after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet.²⁶ Now the woman was a ^(F1)Gentile, of Syrophoenician descent. And she repeatedly asked Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.²⁷ And He was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not ^(F1)good to take the children's bread and throw it to the ^(F2)dogs."²⁸ But she answered and ^(*)said to Him, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs."²⁹ And He said to her, "Because of this ^(F1)answer, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter."³⁰ And after going back to her home, she found the child ^(F1)lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

^31 (C1)Again He left the region of ^(C2)Tyre and came through Sidon to ^(C3)the Sea of Galilee, within the region of ^(C4)Decapolis.³² And they ^(*)brought to Him one who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they ^(*)begged Him to ^(C1)lay His hand on him.³³ And Jesus ^(C1)took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers in his ears, and after ^(C1)spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva;³⁴ and looking up to heaven with a deep ^(C1)sigh, He ^(*)said to him, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!"³⁵ And his ears were opened, and the ^(F1)impediment of his tongue was ^(F2)removed, and he began speaking plainly.³⁶ And ^(C1)He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they ^(C2)continued to proclaim it.³⁷ And they were utterly astonished, saying, "He has done all things well; He makes even those who are deaf hear, and those who are unable to talk, speak."