1 T he Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem,

2 a nd had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.

3 ( For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders;

4 a nd when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.)

5 T he Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?”

6 A nd He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘ This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.

7 ‘ But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’

8 N eglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

9 H e was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.

10 F or Moses said, ‘ Honor your father and your mother ’; and, ‘ He who speaks evil of father or mother, is to be put to death ’;

11 b ut you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God ),’

12 y ou no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother;

13 t hus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.” The Heart of Man

14 A fter He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:

15 t here is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.

16 ' > If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” ]

17 W hen he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable.

18 A nd He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him,

19 b ecause it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” ( Thus He declared all foods clean.)

20 A nd He was saying, “ That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man.

21 F or from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,

22 d eeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.

23 A ll these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” The Syrophoenician Woman

24 J esus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice.

25 B ut after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet.

26 N ow the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

27 A nd He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

28 B ut she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.”

29 A nd He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”

30 A nd going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left.

31 A gain He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis.

32 T hey brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him.

33 J esus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva;

34 a nd looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”

35 A nd his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly.

36 A nd He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it.

37 T hey were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”