< Mark 7 >
1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him, having come from Jerusalem.
2 And upon seeing some of His disciples eating bread with ‘unclean’—that is, ceremonially unwashed—hands, they found fault.
3 (Because the Pharisees, indeed all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding to the tradition of the elders.
4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things they have received and hold—washings of cups, pitchers, copper vessels and couches.)
5 Then the 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?”
6 So in answer He said to them: “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it stands written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 Because having left the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men—washings of pitchers and cups, and many other similar things that you do.”
9 Indeed He said to them: “You are very good at nullifying the commandment of God, so that you may keep your tradition.
10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.’
11 But you say that if a man should say to father or mother, ‘Whatever profit you might have received from me is Korban’ (that is, a gift to God),
12 you don't even allow him to do anything for his father or his mother any more,
13 making the Word of God of no effect by your tradition that you have handed down. Yes, you do many such things.”
14 Upon summoning the larger crowd He said to them: “Hear me, everyone, and understand:
15 There is nothing outside a man that can defile him by going into him; rather, the things that come out of him, those are the ones that defile him.
16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
17 When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples started to question Him about the parable.
18 So He said to them: “Can you really be without understanding? Don't you perceive that nothing that enters a man from outside can defile him,
19 because it doesn't go into his heart, but into his stomach, which then expels the impure aspects of the food?”
20 He went on to say: “That which comes out of a man, that is what defiles him.
21 Because from within, out of men's hearts, the evil designs proceed—adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 thefts, covetings, malignancies; deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, arrogance, foolishness—
23 all these malignant things proceed from within and defile the man.”
24 Then He got ready and went from there into the region of Tyre and Sidon. He went into a house and did not want anyone to know it, but He could not escape notice.
25 In fact, as soon as she heard about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit came and fell at His feet.
26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenecian by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first; it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
28 So she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs.”
29 So He said to her, “Because of this saying you may go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”
30 She went away to her house and found that the demon was gone and the daughter had been placed on the bed.
31 Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, Jesus came to the Sea of Galilee by way of the Decapolis region.
32 Then they brought to Him a deaf man with thick speech and begged Him to place His hand on him.
33 After taking him aside, away from the crowd, He put His fingers in his ears; He also spat and touched his tongue.
34 Then looking up to heaven He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”
35 Immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he began to speak clearly.
36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He would command them, so much the more they would proclaim it.
37 People were astonished beyond measure, saying: “He has done everything well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
