Mark 7
1 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
[One day some] Pharisees and some men who teach the [Jewish] laws gathered around Jesus. They had come from Jerusalem [to investigate him].
2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
The Pharisees and all of the [other] Jews [strictly] observe the traditions that their ancestors [taught. For example, they refuse to] eat until they first wash their hands [with a special ritual], especially after they [return] from [buying things in] the marketplace. [They think that God will be angry with them if they do not do that, because some person or thing unacceptable to God might have touched] ([them/the things they bought]). There are many other such [traditions] that they accept and try to obey. Specifically, they wash [in a special way] their cups, pots, kettles, containers, and beds [in order that using these things will not make God reject them].
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash [their] hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
4 And [when they come] from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, [as] the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
That day, those Pharisees and men who taught the [Jewish] laws saw that some of his disciples were eating food with hands that they had not washed [using the special ritual]. So they questioned Jesus, saying, “[Your] disciples disobey the traditions of our ancestors! (You should not [let them] eat food if they have not washed their hands [using our special ritual]!/Why do you [let them] eat food if they have not washed their hands [using our special ritual]?) [RHQ]”
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with [their] lips, but their heart is far from me.
Jesus said to them, “Isaiah [rebuked your ancestors], and his words describe very well you people who only pretend to be good! He wrote these words [that God said]: These people speak [as if they] honor me, but they [SYN] really do not think about honoring me at all.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.
It is useless for them to worship me, because they teach only what people have commanded [as if I myself had commanded them].
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, [as] the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
You, [like your ancestors], refuse [to do] what God has commanded. Instead, you follow only the traditions that (others/your ancestors) have [taught].”
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Jesus also said to them, “[You think] [IRO] that you are clever in refusing to do what God commanded just so that you can obey your own traditions!
10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
[For example, our ancestor] Moses [wrote God’s] command, ‘Honor your fathers and your mothers’. He also wrote, ‘[The authorities must] execute a person who speaks evil about his father or mother.’
11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, [It is] Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; [he shall be free].
But you [teach people that it is all right that people no longer must help their parents. You teach people that it is all right if people] give their things to God [instead of giving them to their parents]. You allow them to say to their parents, ‘What I was going to give to you [to provide for you, I have now promised to] give to God. So I [cannot any longer help you]!’ As a result, you are [actually telling people] that they no longer have to help their parents!
12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
And, by doing that, you disregard what God commanded! You teach your own traditions to others [and tell them strongly that they should obey them] And you do many other things like that.”
14 And when he had called all the people [unto him], he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one [of you], and understand:
Then Jesus again summoned the crowd [to come closer. Then] he said to them [figuratively], “All of you people listen to me! [Try to] understand [DOU] [what I am about to tell you].
15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
Nothing that people eat causes [God to] consider them to be unacceptable. On the contrary, it is that which comes from people’s (inner beings/hearts) that causes God to reject them.”
16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
After Jesus had left the crowd and then entered a house with the disciples, they asked him about the parable [that he had just spoken].
18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, [it] cannot defile him;
He replied, “([I am disappointed that] you also do not understand [what it means]!/Why can you not understand [what it means]?) [RHQ] (You ought to understand that nothing that [enters us from] outside can cause [God to] consider us unacceptable to him./Can you not understand that nothing that [enters us from] outside of us can cause [God to] consider us unacceptable to him?) [RHQ]
19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
Instead of entering [and ruining] our minds/souls, it goes into our stomachs, and afterwards the refuse passes out [of our bodies].” By saying this, Jesus was declaring that people [can eat] any food without causing [God] to reject them.
20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
He also said, “It is the [thoughts and actions] that come from within people that cause [God] to consider them unacceptable to him.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Specifically, it is people’s innermost being [that causes them to] think things that are evil; they act immorally, they steal [things], they commit murder.
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
They [commit] adultery, they are greedy, they [act] maliciously, they deceive [people]. They [act] indecently, they envy [people], they speak evil about others, they are proud, and they [act] foolishly.
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
People think [these thoughts] and then they do these evil actions, and that is what causes [God to] consider them unacceptable to him.”
24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know [it]: but he could not be hid.
After Jesus [and his disciples] left [Galilee district], they went to the region around Tyre. While he stayed at a certain house, he desired that no one know [it], but people soon found out [that he was there].
25 For a [certain] woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
A certain woman, whose daughter had an evil spirit [within her], heard about Jesus. At once she came to him and prostrated herself at his feet.
26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
This woman [was not a Jew. Her ancestors came] from Greece [country], but she was born in [the region around] Phoenicia [town] in Syria district. She pleaded with Jesus that he expel the evil spirit from her daughter.
27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast [it] unto the dogs.
But he [wanted to see how strongly she believed in him. So, suggesting that he should help the Jews first and not the non-Jews whom some Jews called dogs] [MET], [he] spoke to her saying, “First let the children eat all they want, because it is not good for someone to take the food [the mother has prepared] for the children and then throw it to the [little] dogs.”
28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.
But [to show that she believed that non-Jews could also receive help from God] [MET], she replied to him, “Sir, [what you say is] correct, but even the [little] dogs, which lie under the table, eat the crumbs that the children [drop].”
29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
[Jesus] said to her, “Because of what you have said, [you have shown me that you believe in what I can do for you]. So I will help you. Now you may go [home, because I have caused] the evil spirit to leave your daughter.”
30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
The woman returned to her house and saw that her child was lying [quietly] on the bed and that the evil spirit had left.
31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
Jesus [and his disciples] left the region around Tyre [city] and went [north] through Sidon [city], then [toward the east] through the district of the Ten Towns, and then [south] to [the towns near] Lake Galilee.
32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
[There], people brought to him a man who was deaf and who could hardly talk. They begged [Jesus] to lay his hands on him [in order to heal him].
33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
[So Jesus] took him away from the crowd [in order that the two of them could be] alone. Then he put [one of] his fingers into [each of] the man’s ears. After he spat [on his fingers], he touched the man’s tongue [with his fingers].
34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
Then he looked up toward heaven, he sighed [because he was concerned for the man], and then [in his own language] he said to the man’s [ears], “Ephphatha”, which means, “Be opened {Open up}!”.
35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
At once the man could hear plainly [MTY]. He also began to speak clearly because [what was causing him to be unable to speak] was healed {Jesus healed [what was causing him to be unable to speak]}.
36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published [it];
Jesus told ([the people/his friends]) not to tell anyone [what he had done]. But, although he ordered them [and others] repeatedly [not to tell anyone about it], they kept talking about it very much.
37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
[People who heard about it] were utterly amazed and were saying [enthusiastically], “Everything he has done is wonderful! [Besides doing other amazing things], he enables deaf people to hear! And he enables those who cannot speak to speak!”
