Matthew 15
15
God’s Law and Human Traditions
(Mk. 7:1–23)
1Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus. They came from Jerusalem and asked him, 2“Why do your followers not obey the traditions we have from our great leaders who lived long ago? Your followers don’t wash their hands before they eat!”
3Jesus answered, “And why do you refuse to obey God’s command so that you can follow those traditions you have? 4God said, ‘You must respect your father and mother.’#Quote from Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16. And God also said, ‘Whoever says anything bad to their father or mother must be killed.’#Quote from Ex. 21:17. 5But you teach that a person can say to their father or mother, ‘I have something I could use to help you. But I will not use it for you. I will give it to God.’ 6You are teaching them not to respect their father. So you are teaching that it is not important to do what God said. You think it is more important to follow those traditions you have. 7You are hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he spoke for God about you:
8‘These people honor me with their words,
but I am not really important to them.
9Their worship of me is worthless.
The things they teach are only human rules.’” Isaiah 29:13
10Jesus called the people to him. He said, “Listen and understand what I am saying. 11It is not what people put in their mouth that makes them wrong.#15:11 wrong Literally, “unclean” or “not pure,” meaning unacceptable to God. Also in verse 18. It is what comes out of their mouth that makes them wrong.”
12Then the followers came to Jesus and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees are upset about what you said?”
13Jesus answered, “Every plant that my Father in heaven has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14Stay away from the Pharisees. They lead the people, but they are like blind men leading other blind men. And if a blind man leads another blind man, both of them will fall into a ditch.”
15Peter said, “Explain to us what you said earlier to the people.”
16Jesus said, “Do you still have trouble understanding? 17Surely you know that all the food that enters the mouth goes into the stomach. Then it goes out of the body. 18But the bad things people say with their mouth come from the way they think. And that’s what can make people wrong. 19All these bad things begin in the mind: evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual sins, stealing, lying, and insulting people. 20These are the things that make people wrong. Eating without washing their hands will never make people unacceptable to God.”
Jesus Helps a Non-Jewish Woman
(Mk. 7:24–30)
21Jesus went from there to the area of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that area came out and began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, please help me! My daughter has a demon inside her, and she is suffering very much.”
23But Jesus did not answer her. So the followers came to him and said, “Tell her to go away. She keeps crying out and will not leave us alone.”
24Jesus answered, “God sent me only to the lost people#15:24 people Literally, “sheep.” of Israel.”
25Then the woman came over to Jesus and bowed before him. She said, “Lord, help me!”
26He answered her with this saying: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs.”
27The woman said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the pieces of food that fall from their master’s table.”
28Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! You will get what you asked for.” And right then the woman’s daughter was healed.
Jesus Heals Many People
29Then Jesus went from there to the shore of Lake Galilee. He went up on a hill and sat down.
30A large crowd of people came to him. They brought many other sick people and put them before him. There were people who could not walk, people who were blind, crippled, or deaf, and many others. Jesus healed them all. 31People were amazed when they saw that those who could not speak were now able to speak. Crippled people were made strong. Those who could not walk were now able to walk. The blind were able to see. Everyone thanked the God of Israel for this.
Jesus Feeds More Than 4000
(Mk. 8:1–10)
32Jesus called his followers to him and said, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me three days, and now they have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry. They might faint while going home.”
33The followers asked Jesus, “Where can we get enough bread to feed all these people? We are a long way from any town.”
34Jesus asked, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”
They answered, “We have seven loaves of bread and a few small fish.”
35Jesus told the people to sit on the ground. 36He took the seven loaves of bread and the fish. Then he gave thanks to God for the food. He broke the bread into pieces, which he gave to the followers, and they gave the food to the people. 37All the people ate until they were full. After this, the followers filled seven baskets with the pieces of food that were not eaten. 38There were about 4000 men there who ate. There were also some women and children. 39After they all ate, Jesus told the people they could go home. He got into the boat and went to the area of Magadan.
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Matthew 15: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Matthew 15
15
1Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6and honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 7Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips;
But their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me,
Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. 12Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 15Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 16And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? 17Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20these are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Tyre and Sidon
21Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
By the Sea of Galilee
29And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. 30And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them: 31insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
Feeding Four Thousand
32Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. 33And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? 34And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. 35And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. 36And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 37And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. 38And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. 39And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.
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Rights in the Authorized (King James) Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Published by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.
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