< Matthew 15 >

1 Then come unto Jesus do they from Jerusalem — scribes and Pharisees — saying,
Then there came to Jesus a party of Pharisees and Scribes from Jerusalem, who inquired,
2 'Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they may eat bread.'
"Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the Elders by not washing their hands before meals?"
3 And he answering said to them, 'Wherefore also do ye transgress the command of God because of your tradition?
"Why do you, too," He retorted, "transgress God's commands for the sake of your tradition?
4 for God did command, saying, Honour thy father and mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother — let him die the death;
For God said, 'Honour thy father and thy mother'; and 'Let him who reviles father or mother be certainly put to death';
5 but ye say, Whoever may say to father or mother, An offering [is] whatever thou mayest be profited by me; —
but you--this is what you say: 'If a man says to his father or mother, That is consecrated, whatever it is, which otherwise you should have received from me--
6 and he may not honour his father or his mother, and ye did set aside the command of God because of your tradition.
he shall be absolved from honouring his father'; and so you have abrogated God's Word for the sake of your tradition.
7 'Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
Hypocrites! well did Isaiah prophesy of you,
8 This people doth draw nigh to Me with their mouth, and with the lips it doth honour Me, but their heart is far off from Me;
"'This is a People who honour Me with their lips, while their heart is far away from Me;
9 and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings — commands of men.'
but it is in vain they worship Me, while they lay down precepts which are mere human rules.'"
10 And having called near the multitude, he said to them, 'Hear and understand:
Then, when He had called the people to Him, Jesus said, "Hear and understand.
11 not that which is coming into the mouth doth defile the man, but that which is coming forth from the mouth, this defileth the man.'
It is not what goes into a man's mouth that defiles him; but it is what comes out of his mouth--that defiles a man."
12 Then his disciples having come near, said to him, 'Hast thou known that the Pharisees, having heard the word, were stumbled?'
Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were greatly shocked when they heard those words?"
13 And he answering said, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up;
"Every plant," He replied, "which my Heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.
14 let them alone, guides they are — blind of blind; and if blind may guide blind, both into a ditch shall fall.'
Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind; and if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into some pit."
15 And Peter answering said to him, 'Explain to us this simile.'
"Explain to us this figurative language," said Peter.
16 And Jesus said, 'Are ye also yet without understanding?
"Are even you," He answered, "still without intellingence?
17 do ye not understand that all that is going into the mouth doth pass into the belly, and into the drain is cast forth?
Do you not understand that whatever enters the mouth passes into the stomach and is afterwards ejected from the body?
18 but the things coming forth from the mouth from the heart do come forth, and these defile the man;
But the things that come out of the mouth proceed from the heart, and it is these that defile the man.
19 for out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, whoredoms, thefts, false witnessings, evil speakings:
For out of the heart proceed wicked thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, perjury, impiety of speech.
20 these are the things defiling the man; but to eat with unwashen hands doth not defile the man.'
These are the things which defile the man; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile."
21 And Jesus having come forth thence, withdrew to the parts of Tyre and Sidon,
Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew into the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon.
22 and lo, a woman, a Canaanitess, from those borders having come forth, did call to him, saying, 'Deal kindly with me, Sir — Son of David; my daughter is miserably demonized.'
Here a Canaanitish woman of the district came out and persistently cried out, "Sir, Son of David, pity me; my daughter is cruelly harassed by a demon."
23 And he did not answer her a word; and his disciples having come to him, were asking him, saying — 'Let her away, because she crieth after us;'
But He answered her not a word. Then the disciples interposed, and begged Him, saying, "Send her away because she keeps crying behind us."
24 and he answering said, 'I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'
"I have only been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," He replied.
25 And having come, she was bowing to him, saying, 'Sir, help me;'
Then she came and threw herself at His feet and entreated Him. "O Sir, help me," she said.
26 and he answering said, 'It is not good to take the children's bread, and to cast to the little dogs.'
"It is not right," He said, "to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."
27 And she said, 'Yes, sir, for even the little dogs do eat of the crumbs that are falling from their lords' table;'
"Be it so, Sir," she said, "for even the dogs eat the scraps which fall from their masters' tables."
28 then answering, Jesus said to her, 'O woman, great [is] thy faith, let it be to thee as thou wilt;' and her daughter was healed from that hour.
"O woman," replied Jesus, "great is your faith: be it done to you as you desire." And from that moment her daughter was restored to health.
29 And Jesus having passed thence, came nigh unto the sea of Galilee, and having gone up to the mountain, he was sitting there,
Again, moving thence, Jesus went along by the Lake of Galilee; and ascending the hill, He sat down there.
30 and there came to him great multitudes, having with them lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and they did cast them at the feet of Jesus, and he healed them,
Soon great crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were crippled in feet or hands, blind or dumb, and many besides, and they hastened to lay them at His feet. And He cured them,
31 so that the multitudes did wonder, seeing dumb ones speaking, maimed whole, lame walking, and blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
so that the people were amazed to see the dumb speaking, the maimed with their hands perfect, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they gave the glory to the God of Israel.
32 And Jesus having called near his disciples, said, 'I have compassion upon the multitude, because now three days they continue with me, and they have not what they may eat; and to let them away fasting I will not, lest they faint in the way.'
But Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, "My heart yearns over this mass of people, for it is now the third day that they have been with me and they have nothing to eat. I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they should faint on the road."
33 And his disciples say to him, 'Whence to us, in a wilderness, so many loaves, as to fill so great a multitude?'
"Where can we," asked the disciples, "get bread enough in this remote place to satisfy so vast a multitude?"
34 And Jesus saith to them, 'How many loaves have ye?' and they said, 'Seven, and a few little fishes.'
"How many loaves have you?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they said, "and a few small fish."
35 And he commanded the multitudes to sit down upon the ground,
So He bade all the people sit down on the ground,
36 and having taken the seven loaves and the fishes, having given thanks, he did break, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
and He took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks He broke them up and then distributed them to the disciples, and they to the people.
37 And they did all eat, and were filled, and they took up what was over of the broken pieces seven baskets full,
And they all ate and were satisfied. The broken portions that remained over they took up--seven full hampers.
38 and those eating were four thousand men, apart from women and children.
Those who ate were 4,000 adult men, without reckoning women and children.
39 And having let away the multitudes, he went into the boat, and did come to the borders of Magdala.
He then dismissed the people, went on board the boat, and came into the district of Magadan.

< Matthew 15 >