1Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,2‘Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!’3Jesus replied, ‘And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?4For God said, “Honour your father and mother”[1] and “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.”[2] (Ex 20:12; Ex 21:17; Le 20:9; De 5:16)5But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is “devoted to God,”6they are not to “honour their father or mother” with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:8‘ “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.9They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” ’ (Isa 29:13)10Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen and understand.11What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.’12Then the disciples came to him and asked, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?’13He replied, ‘Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.14Leave them; they are blind guides.[3] If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.’15Peter said, ‘Explain the parable to us.’16‘Are you still so dull?’ Jesus asked them.17‘Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?18But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.19For out of the heart come evil thoughts – murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.20These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.’
The faith of a Canaanite woman
21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.’23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, ‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’24He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’25The woman came and knelt before him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she said.26He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’27‘Yes it is, Lord,’ she said. ‘Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.’28Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Jesus feeds the four thousand
29Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down.30Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.31The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.32Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.’33His disciples answered, ‘Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?’34‘How many loaves do you have?’ Jesus asked. ‘Seven,’ they replied, ‘and a few small fish.’35He told the crowd to sit down on the ground.36Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.37They all ate and were satisfied. Afterwards the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.38The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children.39After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
Matthew 15
English Standard Version
Traditions and Commandments
1Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, (Mr 3:22; Mr 7:1)2“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” (Mt 9:11; Lu 11:38; Ga 1:14; Col 2:8)3He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?4For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ (Ex 20:12; Ex 21:17)5But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,”[1]6he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word[2] of God. (Ro 2:23; Ga 3:17)7You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: (Mt 23:13)8“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; (Isa 29:13; Eze 33:31)9in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Col 2:22; Tit 1:14)
What Defiles a Person
10And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: (Mt 13:51)11it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” (Ac 10:14)12Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” (Mt 13:57; Lu 7:23)13He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. (Isa 60:21; Isa 61:3; Joh 15:1; 1Co 3:9; Jud 1:12)14Let them alone; they are blind guides.[3] And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” (Isa 56:10; Mal 2:8; Mt 23:16; Mt 23:24; Lu 6:39)15But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” (Mt 13:36)16And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? (Mt 16:9)17Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?[4] (1Co 6:13)18But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. (Mt 12:34; Jas 3:6)19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. (Ex 20:13; Mt 5:22; Mt 5:28; Eph 4:31; Col 3:8; 1Ti 6:4; Jas 2:4)20These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” (Mr 7:2; Mr 7:5; 1Co 6:9)
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman
21And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. (Mr 7:24)22And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” (Ge 10:15; Ge 10:19; Jud 1:30; Mt 9:27)23But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” (Mt 14:15)24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Mt 10:5; Ro 15:8)25But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” (Mt 8:2)26And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” (Mt 7:6)27She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” (Lu 16:21)28Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.[5] (Mt 8:13; Mt 9:2; Mt 9:22; Mt 17:18; Joh 4:52)
Jesus Heals Many
29Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. (Mt 4:18; Mt 5:1; Mr 7:31; Joh 6:1)30And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, (Mt 11:5)31so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel. (Isa 29:23; Mt 9:8; Mt 9:33; Mt 18:8; Mr 9:43; Lu 1:68; Ac 13:17)
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
32Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” (Mt 9:36; Mt 14:14; Mr 8:1)33And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?”34And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” (Mt 16:10)35And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground,36he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. (Mt 26:27; Mr 14:23; Lu 22:17; Lu 22:19; Joh 6:11; Joh 6:23; Ac 27:35; Ro 14:6; 1Co 10:30; 1Co 11:24; 1Co 14:16; 1Ti 4:3)37And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. (2Ki 4:42)38Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.39And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan. (Mr 8:10)