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

The proud religious law-keepers and some of the teachers of the Law had come from Jerusalem. They gathered around Jesus.

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

They had seen some of His followers eat bread without washing their hands.

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

The proud religious law-keepers and all the Jews never eat until they wash their hands. They keep the teaching that was given to them by their early fathers.

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.)

When they come from the stores, they never eat until they wash. There are many other teachings they keep. Some are the washing of cups and pots and pans in a special way.

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?”

Then the proud religious law-keepers and the teachers of the Law asked Jesus, “Why do Your followers not obey the teaching given to them by their early fathers? They eat bread without washing their 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.

He said to them, “Isaiah told about you who pretend to be someone you are not. Isaiah wrote, ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.

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

Their worship of Me is worth nothing. They teach what men say must be done.’

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

You put away the Laws of God and obey the laws made by 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.

Jesus said to them, “You put away the Laws of God but keep your own teaching.

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 ’;

Moses said, ‘Respect your father and mother.’ ‘He who curses his father and mother will 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 ),’

But you say that it is right if a man does not help his father and mother because he says he has given to God what he could have given to them.

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

You are not making him do anything for his father and 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

You are putting away the Word of God to keep your own teaching. You are doing many other things like this.”

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

Jesus called the people to Him again. He said, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand this.

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.

It is not what goes into a man’s mouth from the outside that makes his mind and heart sinful. It is what comes out from the inside that makes him sinful.

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

You have ears, then listen!”

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

He went into the house away from all the people. His followers began to ask about the picture-story.

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,

He said to them, “Do you not understand yet? Do you not understand that whatever goes into a man cannot make him sinful?

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

It does not go into his heart, but into his stomach and then on out of his body.” In this way, He was saying that all food is clean.

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

He said, “Whatever comes out of a man is what makes the man sinful.

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

From the inside, out of the heart of men come bad thoughts, sex sins of a married person, sex sins of a person not married, killing other people,

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

stealing, wanting something that belongs to someone else, doing wrong, lying, having a desire for sex sins, having a mind that is always looking for sin, speaking against God, thinking you are better than you are and doing foolish things.

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

All these bad things come from the inside and make the man sinful.” Jesus Puts a Demon out of a Girl

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.

Jesus went from their towns and cities to the cities of Tyre and Sidon. He went into a house and wanted to stay there without people knowing where He was. But He could not hide Himself.

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

A woman who had a daughter with a demon heard of Him. She came and got down 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.

The woman was not a Jew. She was from the country of Syrophenicia. She asked Jesus if He would put 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.”

Jesus said to her, “Let the children have what they want first. It is wrong to take children’s food 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.”

She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the pieces that fall from the children’s table.”

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

He said to her, “Because of what you have said, go your way. The demon is 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.

So she went to her house and found the demon was gone and her daughter was lying on the bed. Jesus Heals the Man Who Could Not Hear or Speak Well

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.

Then Jesus left the cities of Tyre and Sidon. He came back to the Sea of Galilee by way of the land 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.

They took a man to Him who could not hear or speak well. They asked Jesus to put 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;

Jesus took him away from the other people. He put His fingers into the man’s ears. He spit and put His finger on the man’s tongue.

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

Then Jesus looked up to heaven and breathed deep within. He said to the man, “Be opened!”

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

At once his ears were opened. His tongue was made loose and he spoke as other people.

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.

Then Jesus told them they should tell no one. The more He told them this, the more they told what He had done.

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.”

They were very much surprised and wondered about it. They said, “He has done all things well. He makes those who could not hear so they can hear. He makes those who could not speak so they can speak.”