1 T hen Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying,

2 “ Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat bread.”

3 H e answered them, “Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?

4 F or God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’

5 B ut you say, ‘Whoever may tell his father or his mother, “Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,”

6 h e shall not honor his father or mother.’ You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition.

7 Y ou hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

8 ‘ These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

9 A nd in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.’”

10 H e summoned the multitude, and said to them, “Hear, and understand.

11 T hat which enters into the mouth doesn’t defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”

12 T hen the disciples came, and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?”

13 B ut he answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted.

14 L eave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

15 P eter answered him, “Explain the parable to us.”

16 S o Jesus said, “Do you also still not understand?

17 D on’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body?

18 B ut the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man.

19 F or out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.

20 T hese are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn’t defile the man.”

21 J esus went out from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon.

22 B ehold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!”

23 B ut he answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away; for she cries after us.”

24 B ut he answered, “I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25 B ut she came and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

26 B ut he answered, “It is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

27 B ut she said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

28 T hen Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

29 J esus departed there, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there.

30 G reat multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them,

31 s o that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, injured whole, lame walking, and blind seeing—and they glorified the God of Israel.

32 J esus summoned his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way.”

33 T he disciples said to him, “Where should we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?”

34 J esus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”

35 H e commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;

36 a nd he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.

37 T hey all ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.

38 T hose who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

39 T hen he sent away the multitudes, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magdala.