Mark 7
1 [One day some] Pharisees and some men who teach the [Jewish] laws gathered around Jesus. They had come from Jerusalem [to investigate him].
And the Pharisees and some of the scribes, coming from Jerusalem, are gathered together to him,
2 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].
and seeing some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands,
(for the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands diligently, do not eat, holding what has been delivered by the ancients;
and [on coming] from the market-place, unless they are washed, they do not eat; and there are many other things which they have received to hold, the washing of cups and vessels, and brazen utensils, and couches),
5 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]”
then the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why do thy disciples not walk according to what has been delivered by the ancients, but eat the bread with defiled hands?
6 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.
But he answering said to them, Well did Esaias prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me.
7 It is useless for them to worship me, because they teach only what people have commanded [as if I myself had commanded them].
But in vain do they worship me, teaching [as their] teachings commandments of men.
8 You, [like your ancestors], refuse [to do] what God has commanded. Instead, you follow only the traditions that (others/your ancestors) have [taught].”
[For], leaving the commandment of God, ye hold what is delivered by men [to keep] — washings of vessels and cups, and many other such like things ye do.
9 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!
And he said to them, Well do ye set aside the commandment of God, that ye may observe what is delivered by yourselves [to keep].
10 [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.’
For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, he who speaks ill of father or mother, let him surely die.
11 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!
But ye say, If a man say to his father or his mother, [It is] corban (that is, gift), whatsoever thou mightest have profit from me by...
And ye no longer suffer him to do anything for his father or his mother;
13 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.”
making void the word of God by your traditional teaching which ye have delivered; and many such like things ye do.
14 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].
And having called again the crowd, he said to them, Hear me, all [of you], and understand:
15 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.”
There is nothing from outside a man entering into him which can defile him; but the things which go out from him, those it is which defile the man.
If any one have ears to hear, let him hear.
17 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].
And when he went indoors from the crowd, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
18 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]
And he says to them, Are ye also thus unintelligent? Do ye not perceive that all that is outside entering into the man cannot defile him,
19 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.
because it does not enter into his heart but into his belly, and goes out into the draught, purging all meats?
20 He also said, “It is the [thoughts and actions] that come from within people that cause [God] to consider them unacceptable to him.
And he said, That which goes forth out of the man, that defiles the man.
21 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.
For from within, out of the heart of men, go forth evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 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.
thefts, covetousness, wickednesses, deceit, licentiousness, a wicked eye, injurious language, haughtiness, folly;
23 People think [these thoughts] and then they do these evil actions, and that is what causes [God to] consider them unacceptable to him.”
all these wicked things go forth from within and defile the man.
24 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].
And he rose up and went away thence into the borders of Tyre and Sidon; and having entered into a house he would not have any one know [it], and he could not be hid.
25 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.
But immediately a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell at his feet
26 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.
(and the woman was a Greek, Syrophenician by race), and asked him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter.
27 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.”
But [Jesus] said to her, Suffer the children to be first filled; for it is not right to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs.
28 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].”
But she answered and says to him, Yea, Lord; for even the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
29 [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.”
And he said to her, Because of this word, go thy way, the demon is gone out of thy daughter.
30 The woman returned to her house and saw that her child was lying [quietly] on the bed and that the evil spirit had left.
And having gone away to her house she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.
31 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.
And again having left the borders of Tyre and Sidon, he came to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
32 [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].
And they bring to him a deaf [man] who could not speak right, and they beseech him that he might lay his hand on him.
33 [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].
And having taken him away from the crowd apart, he put his fingers to his ears; and having spit, he touched his tongue;
34 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}!”.
and looking up to heaven he groaned, and says to him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
35 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]}.
And immediately his ears were opened, and the band of his tongue was loosed and he spoke right.
36 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.
And he charged them that they should speak to no one [of it]. But so much the more he charged them, so much the more abundantly they proclaimed it;
37 [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!”
and they were astonished above measure, saying, He does all things well; he makes both the deaf to hear, and the speechless to speak.
