Mark 7

Followers of Tradition

11The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered to Him after they came 2from Jerusalem, 2and saw that some of His disciples were eating their bread with 34unholy hands, that is, unwashed. 3(For the Pharisees and all the other Jews do not eat unless they 5carefully wash their hands, thereby holding firmly to the 6tradition of the elders; 4and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they 7completely cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received as traditions to firmly hold, such as the 8washing of 9cups, pitchers, and copper pots.) 5And the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk in accordance with the 10tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with 1112unholy hands?” 6But He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘13This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.714And in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the 15tradition of men.”

9He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your 16tradition. 10For Moses said, ‘17Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘18The one who speaks evil of father or mother, is 19certainly to be put to death’; 11but you say, ‘If a person says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is 20Corban (that is, 21given to God),’ 12you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother; 13thereby invalidating the word of God by your 22tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.”

The Heart of Mankind

14After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 15there is nothing outside the person which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which come out of the person are what defile the person23.”

17And when He later entered a house, away from the crowd, 24His disciples asked Him about the parable. 18And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding as well? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the person from outside cannot defile him, 19because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and 25is eliminated?” (Thereby He declared 26all foods 27clean.) 20And He was saying, “28That which comes out of the person, that is what defiles the person. 21For from within, out of the 29hearts of people, come the evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, acts of adultery, 22deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behavior, 3031envy, slander, 32pride, and foolishness. 23All these evil things come from within and defile the person.”

The Syrophoenician Woman

2433Now Jesus got up and went from there to the region of 34Tyre35. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know about it; and yet He could not escape notice. 25But after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. 26Now the woman was a 36Gentile, of Syrophoenician descent. And she repeatedly asked Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not 37good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the 38dogs.” 28But she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” 29And He said to her, “Because of this 39answer, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30And after going back to her home, she found the child 40lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

3141Again He left the region of 42Tyre and came through Sidon to 43the Sea of Galilee, within the region of 44Decapolis. 32And they brought to Him one who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they begged Him to 45lay His hand on him. 33And Jesus 46took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers in his ears, and after 47spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; 34and looking up to heaven with a deep 48sigh, He said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” 35And his ears were opened, and the 49impediment of his tongue was 50removed, and he began speaking plainly. 36And 51He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they 52continued to proclaim it. 37And they were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even those who are deaf hear, and those who are unable to talk, speak.”