Matthew 15
15
Jesus Challenges the Pharisees’ Traditions
(Mark 7:1–23)
1Then some Pharisees and experts in Moses’ Teachings came from Jerusalem to Jesus. They asked, 2“Why do your disciples break the traditions of our ancestors? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
3He answered them, “Why do you break the commandment of God because of your traditions? 4For example, God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother must be put to death.’ 5But you say that whoever tells his father or mother, ‘I have given to God whatever support you might have received from me,’ 6does not have to honor his father. Because of your traditions you have destroyed the authority of God’s word. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9Their worship of me is pointless,
because their teachings are rules made by humans.’ ”
10Then he called the crowd and said to them, “Listen and try to understand! 11What goes into a person’s mouth doesn’t make him unclean.#15:11 “Unclean” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is not presentable to God. It’s what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean.”
12Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you realize that when the Pharisees heard your statement they were offended?”
13He answered, “Any plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14Leave them alone! They are blind leaders. When one blind person leads another, both will fall into the same pit.”
15Peter said to him, “Explain this illustration to us.”
16Jesus said, “Don’t you understand yet? 17Don’t you know that whatever goes into the mouth goes into the stomach and then into a toilet? 18But whatever goes out of the mouth comes from within, and that’s what makes a person unclean. 19Evil thoughts, murder, adultery, ⌞other⌟ sexual sins, stealing, lying, and cursing come from within. 20These are the things that make a person unclean. But eating without washing one’s hands doesn’t make a person unclean.”
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman
(Mark 7:24–30)
21Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
22A Canaanite woman from that territory came ⌞to him⌟ and began to shout, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
23But he did not answer her at all. Then his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away. She keeps shouting behind us.”
24Jesus responded, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel.”
25She came to him, bowed down, and said, “Lord, help me!”
26Jesus replied, “It’s not right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”
27She said, “You’re right, Lord. But even the dogs eat scraps that fall from their masters’ tables.”
28Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, you have strong faith! What you wanted will be done for you.” At that moment her daughter was cured.
29Jesus moved on from there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up a mountain and sat there.
30A large crowd came to him, bringing with them the lame, blind, disabled, those unable to talk, and many others. They laid them at his feet, and he cured them. 31The crowd was amazed to see mute people talking, the disabled cured, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. So they praised the God of Israel.
Jesus Feeds More Than Four Thousand
(Mark 8:1–10)
32Jesus called his disciples and said, “I feel sorry for the people. They have been with me three days now and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they may become exhausted on their way home.”
33His disciples asked him, “Where could we get enough bread to feed such a crowd in this place where no one lives?”
34Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”
They answered, “Seven, and a few small fish.”
35He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks to God. Then he broke the bread and gave it to the disciples, and they gave the bread and fish to the people.
37All of them ate as much as they wanted. The disciples picked up the leftover pieces and filled seven large baskets. 38Four thousand men had eaten. (This number does not include the women and children who had eaten.)
39After he sent the people on their way, Jesus stepped into the boat and came to the territory of Magadan.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Matthew 15
15
1Then the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem come up to Jesus, saying, 2Why do thy disciples transgress what has been delivered by the ancients? for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. 3But he answering said to them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God on account of your traditional teaching? 4For God commanded saying, Honour father and mother; and, He that speaks ill of father or mother, let him die the death. 5But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or mother, It is a gift, whatsoever it be by which received from me thou wouldest be profited: 6and he shall in no wise honour his father or his mother; and ye have made void the commandment of God on account of your traditional teaching. 7Hypocrites! well has Esaias prophesied about you, saying, 8This people honour me with the lips, but their heart is far away from me; 9but in vain do they worship me, teaching as teachings commandments of men.
10And having called to him the crowd, he said to them, Hear and understand: 11Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man; but what goes forth out of the mouth, this defiles the man. 12Then his disciples, coming up, said to him, Dost thou know that the Pharisees, having heard this word, have been offended? 13But he answering said, Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up. 14Leave them alone; they are blind leaders of blind: but if blind lead blind, both will fall into a ditch. 15And Peter answering said to him, Expound to us this parable. 16But he said, Are ye also still without intelligence? 17Do ye not yet apprehend, that everything that enters into the mouth finds its way into the belly, and is cast forth into the draught? 18but the things which go forth out of the mouth come out of the heart, and those defile man. 19For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnessings, blasphemies; 20these are the things which defile man; but the eating with unwashen hands does not defile man.
21And Jesus, going forth from thence, went away into the parts of Tyre and Sidon; 22and lo, a Canaanitish woman, coming out from those borders, cried to him saying, Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is miserably possessed by a demon. 23But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came to him and asked him, saying, Dismiss her, for she cries after us. 24But he answering said, I have not been sent save to the lost sheep of Israel's house. 25But she came and did him homage, saying, Lord, help me. 26But he answering said, It is not well to take the bread of the children and cast it to the dogs. 27But she said, Yea, Lord; for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the table of their masters. 28Then Jesus answering said to her, O woman, thy faith is great. Be it to thee as thou desirest. And her daughter was healed from that hour.
29And Jesus, going away from thence, came towards the sea of Galilee, and he went up into the mountain and sat down there; 30and great crowds came to him, having with them lame, blind, dumb, crippled, and many others, and they cast them at his feet, and he healed them: 31so that the crowds wondered, seeing dumb speaking, crippled sound, lame walking, and blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. 32But Jesus, having called his disciples to him, said, I have compassion on the crowd, because they have stayed with me already three days and they have not anything they can eat, and I would not send them away fasting lest they should faint on the way. 33And his disciples say to him, Whence should we have so many loaves in the wilderness as to satisfy so great a crowd? 34And Jesus says to them, How many loaves have ye? But they said, Seven, and a few small fishes. 35And he commanded the crowds to lie down on the ground; 36and having taken the seven loaves and the fishes, having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples, and the disciples to the crowd. 37And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was over and above of the fragments seven baskets full; 38but they that ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39And, having dismissed the crowds, he went on board ship and came to the borders of Magadan.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.