< Matthew 15 >

1 Then some Pharisees and Teachers of the Law came to Jesus, and said:
Then the Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying,
2 “How is it that your disciples break the traditions of our ancestors? For they do not wash their hands when they eat food.”
"Why do your disciples disobey the Tradition of the Elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
3 His reply was: “How is it that you on your side break God’s commandments out of respect for your own traditions?
And he answered them, "Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?
4 For God said — ‘Honour thy father and mother,’ and ‘Let him who reviles his father or mother suffer death,’
For God said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.'
5 but you say ‘Whenever any one says to his father or mother “Whatever of mine might have been of service to you is ‘Given to God,’”
But you say, 'Whoever may tell his father or his mother, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,"
6 he is in no way bound to honour his father.’ In this way you have nullified the words of God on account of your traditions.
he is not to honor his father or his mother.' You have made the word of God void because of your tradition.
7 Hypocrites! It was well said by Isaiah when he prophesied about you —
You hypocrites. Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
8 ‘This is a people that honour me with their lips, While their hearts are far removed from me;
'These people honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 but vainly do they worship me, For they teach but the precepts of men.’”
And in vain do they worship me, teaching instructions that are the commandments of humans.'"
10 Then Jesus called the people to him, and said: “Listen, and mark my words.
He summoned the crowd, and said to them, "Hear, and understand.
11 It is not what enters a man’s mouth that ‘defiles’ him, but what comes out from his mouth — that does defile him!”
That which enters into the mouth does not defile the person; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the person."
12 On this his disciples came up to him, and said: “Do you know that the Pharisees were shocked on hearing what you said?”
Then the disciples came, and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?"
13 “Every plant,” Jesus replied, “that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.
But he answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.
14 Let them be; they are but blind guides; and, if one blind man guides another, both of them will fall into a ditch.”
Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit."
15 Upon this, Peter said to Jesus: “Explain this saying to us.”
And answering, Peter said to him, "Explain this parable to us."
16 “What, do even you understand nothing yet?” Jesus exclaimed.
So he said, "Do you also still not understand?
17 “Do not you see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is afterwards expelled?
Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body?
18 But the things that come out from the mouth proceed from the heart, and it is these that defile a man;
But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the person.
19 for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts — murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, perjury, slander.
For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.
20 These are the things that defile a man; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
These are the things which defile the person; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the person."
21 On going away from that place, Jesus retired to the country round Tyre and Sidon.
Jesus went out from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon.
22 There, a Canaanite woman of that district came out and began calling to Jesus: “Take pity on me, Master, Son of David; my daughter is grievously possessed by a demon.”
And look, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders, and started shouting, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David. My daughter is severely demonized."
23 But Jesus did not answer her a word; and his disciples came up and begged him to send her away. “She keeps calling out after us,” they said.
But he did not answer her a word. His disciples came and pleaded with him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting at us."
24 “I was not sent,” replied Jesus, “to any one except the lost sheep of Israel.”
But he answered, "I was not sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
25 But the woman came, and, bowing to the ground before him, said: “Master, help me.”
But she came and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, help me."
26 “It is not fair,” replied Jesus, “to take the children’s food and throw it to dogs.”
But he answered, "It is not appropriate to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."
27 “Yes, Master,” she said, “for even dogs do feed on the scraps that fall from their owners’ table.”
But she said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
28 “Your faith is great,” was his reply to the woman; “it shall be as you wish!” And her daughter was cured that very hour.
Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith. Be it done to you even as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that hour.
29 On leaving that place, Jesus went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee; and then went up the hill, and sat down., you will do what not only what has been done to the fig tree, but, even if you should say to this hill ‘Be lifted up and hurled into the sea!’ it would be done.
Jesus departed there, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there.
30 Great crowds of people came to him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, or dumb, and many others. They put them down at his feet, and he cured them;
Large crowds came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, crippled, and many others, and they put them down at his feet; and he healed them.
31 and the crowds were astonished, when they saw the dumb talking, the cripples made sound, the lame walking about, and the blind with their sight restored; and they praised the God of Israel.
So the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, crippled healthy, lame walking, and blind seeing—and they glorified the God of Israel.
32 Afterwards Jesus called his disciples to him, and said: “My heart is moved at the sight of all these people, for they have already been with me three days and they have nothing to eat; and I am unwilling to send them away hungry, for fear that they should break down on the way.”
Jesus summoned the disciples and said, "I have compassion on the crowd, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way."
33 “Where can we,” his disciples asked, “in a lonely place find enough bread for such a crowd as this?”
Then the disciples said to him, "Where should we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a crowd?"
34 “How many loaves have you?” said Jesus. “Seven,” they answered, “and a few small fish.”
Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."
35 Telling the crowd to sit down on the ground,
He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground;
36 Jesus took the seven loaves and the fish, and, after saying the thanksgiving, broke them, and gave them to the disciples; and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds.
37 Every one had sufficient to eat, and they picked up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left.
They all ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.
38 The men who ate were four thousand in number without counting women and children.
Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.
39 Then, after dismissing the crowds, Jesus got into the boat, and went to the neighbourhood of Magadan.
Then he sent away the crowds, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magadan.

< Matthew 15 >