Mark 7

Traditions and Commandments

1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem,2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they washt their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders,4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.t And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.t)5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?"

6 And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
"'This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men."

9 And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.'11 But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban"' (that is, given to God)t—12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother,13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do."

What Defiles a Person

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand:15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him."t 17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable.18 And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?"t (Thus he declared all foods clean.)20 And he said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him.21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."

The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon.t And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.27 And he said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."28 But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."29 And he said to her, "For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter."30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis.32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.36 And Jesust charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

Mark 7

1 Then the Pharisees, and some of the scribes gathered together to him, having come from Jerusalem.2 Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands, they found fault.3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, don’t eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders.4 They don’t eat when they come from the marketplace, unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things, which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.)

5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why don’t your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?”

6 He answered them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me.
7 But in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’t
8 “For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.”9 He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’t and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’t11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corbant, that is to say, given to God”;’12 then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother,

13 making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”
14 He called all the multitude to himself, and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand.15 There is nothing from outside of the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.

16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
17 When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable.18 He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Don’t you perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside can’t defile him,19 because it doesn’t go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, thus purifying all foodst?”20 He said, “That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man.21 For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts,22 covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.

23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
24 From there he arose, and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house, and didn’t want anyone to know it, but he couldn’t escape notice.25 For a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet.26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter.

27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

29 He said to her, “For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter.”

30 She went away to her house, and found the child having been laid on the bed, with the demon gone out.
31 Again he departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the region of Decapolis.32 They brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. They begged him to lay his hand on him.33 He took him aside from the multitude, privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue.34 Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke clearly.36 He commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more he commanded them, so much the more widely they proclaimed it.

37 They were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear, and the mute speak!”