< Mark 7 >
1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus,
And there came together to him the Pharisees and certain of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem,
2 and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed.
And had seen that some of his disciples took their bread with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
3 Now in holding to the tradition of the elders, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat until they wash their hands ceremonially.
Now the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not take food without washing their hands with care, keeping the old rule which has been handed down to them:
4 And on returning from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining.
And when they come from the market-place, they take no food till their hands are washed; and a number of other orders there are, which have been handed down to them to keep — washings of cups and pots and brass vessels.
5 So the Pharisees and scribes questioned Jesus: “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with defiled hands.”
And the Pharisees and the scribes put the question to him, Why do your disciples not keep the rules of the fathers, but take their bread with unwashed hands?
6 Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.
And he said, Well did Isaiah say of you, you false ones: These people give me honour with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’
But their worship is to no purpose, while they give as their teaching the rules of men.
8 You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men.”
For, turning away from the law of God, you keep the rules of men.
9 He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the command of God to maintain your own tradition.
And he said to them, Truly you put on one side the law of God, so that you may keep the rules which have been handed down to you.
10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
For Moses said, Give honour to your father and mother, and, He who says evil of father or mother, let him have the punishment of death:
11 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God),
But you say, If a man says to his father or his mother, That by which you might have had profit from me is Corban, that is to say, Given to God,
12 he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother.
You no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother;
13 Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”
Making the word of God of no effect by your rule, which you have given: and a number of other such things you do.
14 Once again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “All of you, listen to Me and understand:
And turning to the people again, he said to them, Give ear to me all of you, and let my words be clear to you:
15 Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him; but the things that come out of a man, these are what defile him.”
There is nothing outside the man which, going into him, is able to make him unclean: but the things which come out of the man are those which make the man unclean.
17 After Jesus had left the crowd and gone into the house, His disciples inquired about the parable.
And when he had gone into the house away from all the people, his disciples put questions to him about the saying.
18 “Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him,
And he said to them, Have even you so little wisdom? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside is not able to make him unclean,
19 because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.)
Because it goes not into the heart but into the stomach, and goes out with the waste? He said this, making all food clean.
20 He continued: “What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him.
And he said, That which comes out of the man, that makes the man unclean.
21 For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
Because from inside, from the heart of men, come evil thoughts and unclean pleasures,
22 greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness.
The taking of goods and of life, broken faith between husband and wife, the desire of wealth, wrongdoing, deceit, sins of the flesh, an evil eye, angry words, pride, foolish acts:
23 All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”
All these evil things come from inside, and make the man unclean.
24 Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre. Not wanting anyone to know He was there, He entered a house, but was unable to escape their notice.
And he went away from there to the country of Tyre and Sidon. And he went into a house, desiring that no man might have knowledge of it: and he was not able to keep it secret.
25 Instead, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit soon heard about Jesus, and she came and fell at His feet.
But a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having had news of him, came straight away and went down at his feet.
26 Now she was a Greek woman of Syrophoenician origin, and she kept asking Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
Now the woman was a Greek, a Syro-phoenician by birth: and she made a request to him that he would send the evil spirit out of her daughter.
27 “First let the children have their fill,” He said. “For it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
And he said to her, Let the children first have their food: for it is not right to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs.
28 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
But she said to him in answer, Yes, Lord: even the dogs under the table take the bits dropped by the children.
29 Then Jesus told her, “Because of this answer, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.”
And he said to her, For this saying go your way; the evil spirit has gone out of your daughter.
30 And she went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.
And she went away to her house, and saw the child on the bed, and the evil spirit gone out.
31 Then Jesus left the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.
And again he went out from Tyre, and came through Sidon to the sea of Galilee, through the country of Decapolis.
32 Some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and hardly able to speak, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him.
And they came to him with one who had no power of hearing and had trouble in talking; and they made a request to him to put his hands on him.
33 So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue.
And he took him on one side from the people privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he put water from his mouth on the man's tongue with his finger;
34 And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”).
And looking up to heaven, he took a deep breath, and said to him, Ephphatha, that is, Be open.
35 Immediately the man’s ears were opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak plainly.
And his ears became open, and the band of his tongue was made loose, and his words became clear.
36 Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more He ordered them, the more widely they proclaimed it.
And he gave them orders not to give news of it to anyone; but the more he made this request, so much the more they made it public.
37 The people were utterly astonished and said, “He has done all things well! He makes even the deaf hear and the mute speak!”
And they were overcome with wonder, saying, He has done all things well: he even gives back the power of hearing and the power of talking to those who have been without them.