Matthew 15:1-20

11Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus 2from Jerusalem and said, 2“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they 3do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God said, ‘4Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘5He who speaks evil of father or mother is to 6be put to death.’ 5But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been 7given to God,” 6he is not to honor his father or his mother8.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:8‘9This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.9But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as 10doctrines the precepts of men.’”

10After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand. 1111It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”

12Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were 12offended when they heard this statement?” 13But He answered and said, “13Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. 14Let them alone; 14they are blind guides 15of the blind. And 16if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

15Peter 17said to Him, “18Explain the parable to us.” 1619Jesus said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also? 17Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is 20eliminated? 18But 21the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 1922For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, 23fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. 20These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”