< Matthew 15 >
1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees that were of Jerusalem, saying:
2 Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.
3 But he answered and said to them: And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
4 For God commanded, saying, Honor your father and your mother; and, He that curses father or mother shall surely be put to death.
5 But you say, Whoever shall say to his father or his mother, Whatever of mine might profit you, is a gift, he must in no way honor his father or his mother;
6 and you make the commandment of God of no effect for the sake of your tradition.
7 Hypocrites! well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draws near to me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain, do they worship me, teaching precepts, the commandments of men.
10 And he called the multitude to him, and said to them: Hear and understand;
11 That which enters the mouth does not defile the man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles the man.
12 Then came his disciples and said to him: Dost thou know that the Pharisees, when they heard that saying, were offended?
13 But he answered and said: Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone; they are blind leaders of the blind; and if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit.
15 But Peter answered and said to him: Explain to us this dark saying.
16 Jesus replied: Are you also yet without understanding?
17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth passes into the belly, and is cast out into the sink?
18 But those things which go out from the mouth, come from the heart; and these defile the man.
19 For from the heart come evil reasonings, murders, adulteries, lewd actions, thefts, false testimonies, impious words.
20 These are the things that defile the man. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.
21 And Jesus went out thence, and withdrew into the regions of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And behold, a woman of Chanaan came out from those borders, and cried to him, saying: Have mercy on me, Lord, son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying: Send her away, for she cries after us.
24 But he answered and said: I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 But she came and did him homage, saying: Lord, help me.
26 He answered and said: It is not good to take the children’s bread, and throw it to the little dogs.
27 She replied: Yes, Lord; and yet thou canst help me; for the little dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the table of their masters.
28 Then Jesus answered and said to her: O woman, great is your faith; be it to you as you desire. And her daughter was restored to health from that hour.
29 And Jesus departed thence, and came near the sea of Galilee, and went up into the mountain, and sat there.
30 And many multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deaf, the maimed, and many others; and laid them at the feet of Jesus, and he cured them;
31 so that the multitudes were astonished, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him, and said: I have compassion on the multitude, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat. And I am not willing to send them away fasting, lest they faint on the road.
33 And his disciples said to him: Whence should we have in the desert as many loaves as would satisfy so great a multitude?
34 And Jesus said to them: How many loaves have you? They said: Seven, and a few little fishes.
35 And he commanded the multitude to recline on the ground.
36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and broke, and gave thorn to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the multitude.
37 And they all ate and were satisfied; and they took up what remained of the broken pieces, seven baskets full.
38 And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.
39 And he sent the multitudes away, and entered the ship, and went into the borders of Magdala.
