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].
The Pharisees and religious leaders who had come down from Jerusalem to meet Jesus
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].
noticed that some of his disciples ate with “unclean” (meaning unwashed) hands.
(The Pharisees and all Jews don't eat until they wash their hands, following the tradition of their ancestors.
In the same way, they don't eat when they return from the market until they have had a wash. They observe many other rituals, like the washing of cups, pots, and pans.)
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]”
So the Pharisees and religious leaders asked Jesus, “Why don't your disciples follow the tradition of our ancestors? They eat food with unclean 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.
Jesus replied, “Isaiah was right about you hypocrites when he said, ‘These people claim they honor me, but in their thinking they are far 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].
There's no point in their worship of me, for what they teach as doctrines are merely human rules.’
8 You, [like your ancestors], refuse [to do] what God has commanded. Instead, you follow only the traditions that (others/your ancestors) have [taught].”
You disregard God's law, and instead you carefully observe human traditions,” he told them.
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!
“How cleverly you set aside God's law so you can support your traditions!
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.’
Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Whoever curses their father or mother should 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 you say that if someone tells their father or mother, ‘Anything you might have received from me is now Corban,’ (that means dedicated to God),
then you don't permit them to do anything further for their mother or father.
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.”
By means of this tradition of yours that you pass down, you make God's word null and void. You do many other things like this.”
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].
Jesus called the crowd to him again and told them, “Please, everyone listen to me 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.”
It's not what's on the outside and goes into you that makes you unclean. It's what comes out that makes you unclean.”
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].
Then Jesus went inside to escape the crowd, and his disciples asked him about his illustration.
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]
“Don't you understand it either?” he asked them. “Don't you see that what you eat doesn't make you unclean?
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.
It doesn't go into your mind, but into your stomach, and then passes out of the body. So all foods are ceremonially ‘clean.’
20 He also said, “It is the [thoughts and actions] that come from within people that cause [God] to consider them unacceptable to him.
It's what comes out of you that makes you unclean.
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.
It's from the inside, from people's minds, that evil thoughts come: sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
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.
greed, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, thoughtlessness—
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 evils come from inside and defile people.”
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].
Then Jesus left and went to the region of Tyre. He didn't want anyone to know he was staying in a house there, but he couldn't keep it a secret.
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.
As soon as a woman, whose little daughter had an evil spirit, heard about him she 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.
The woman was Greek, born in Syrophoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive out the demon from 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.”
“First let the children eat until they're full,” Jesus replied. “It's not right to take the children's food and throw 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].”
“True, sir,” she said, “but even the dogs under the table eat the scraps the children leave.”
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.”
Jesus told her, “For such an answer you may go—the demon has left your 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.
She went home and found the child lying on the bed, the demon gone.
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.
Leaving the region of Tyre, Jesus passed through Sidon and then on to the Sea of Galilee and the territory of the Ten Cities.
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].
There they brought him a deaf man who also could not speak properly. They asked Jesus to touch the man with his hand and heal 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].
After Jesus took him aside from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers in the deaf man's ears. Then he touched the man's tongue with spit.
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}!”.
Jesus looked up to heaven and with a sigh he said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Open!”
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]}.
The man's ears were opened, his speech impediment was gone, and he began speaking properly.
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.
Jesus gave strict orders not to tell anyone, but the more he said this, the more they spread the news.
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!”
They were totally amazed and said, “Everything he does is marvelous. He even makes the deaf hear, and the dumb speak.”
