1 T hen the Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered together to him, having 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 N ow when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is unwashed, hands, they found fault.

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

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.

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 T hey 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.)

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 don’t your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed 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 H e 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.

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 B ut they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

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

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.”

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

9 H e said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may 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, let him 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 tells his father or his mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me 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 t hen you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother,

You are not making him do anything for his father and mother.

13 m aking void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”

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

14 H e called all the multitude to himself, and said to them, “Hear 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 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.

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 I f anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”

You have ears, then listen!”

17 W hen he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable.

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

18 H e said to them, “Are you also without understanding? Don’t you perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside can’t 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 doesn’t go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, thus purifying all foods ?”

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 H e said, “That which proceeds out of the man, that 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 hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts,

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 c ovetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, 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 come from within, and defile the man.”

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

24 F rom 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.

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 F or a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down 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 Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would 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 B ut 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.”

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 him, “Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat 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 H e said to her, “For this saying, go your way. 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 S he went away to her house, and found the child having been laid on the bed, with the demon gone out.

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 departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee, through the middle of 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 had an impediment in his speech. They begged 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 H e took him aside from the multitude, privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue.

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 L ooking up to heaven, he sighed, and 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 I mmediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke clearly.

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

36 H e commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more he commanded them, so much the more widely they proclaimed 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 astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear, and the mute 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.”