Matthew 15
1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the Law came to Jesus, and said,
2 Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
‘How is it that your disciples break the traditions of our ancestors? For they do not wash their hands when they eat food.’
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do all of you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
His reply was, ‘How is it that you on your side break God’s commandments out of respect for your own traditions?
4 For God commanded, saying, Honour your father and mother: and, He that curses father or mother, let him die the death.
For God said – “Honour your father and mother,” and “Anyone who abuses his father or mother shall suffer death,”
5 But all of you say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever you might be profited by me;
but you say “Whenever anyone says to his father or mother ‘Whatever of mine might have been of service to you is set apart for God,’
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have all of you made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.
he is in no way bound to honour his father.” In this way you have nullified the words of God for the sake of your traditions.
7 All of you hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
Hypocrites! It was well said by Isaiah when he prophesied about you –
8 This people draws nigh unto me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
“This is a people that honour me with their lips, While their hearts are far removed from me;
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
but vainly do they worship me, For they teach but human precepts.”’
10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
Then Jesus called the people to him, and said, ‘Listen, and mark my words.
11 Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.
It is not what enters a person’s mouth that defiles them, but what comes out from their mouth – that does defile them!’
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Know you that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? (logos)
His disciples came up to him, and said, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were shocked on hearing what you said?’
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up.
‘Every plant,’ Jesus replied, ‘that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Leave them be; they are but blind guides; and, if one blind person guides another, both of them will fall into a ditch.’
15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
Peter spoke up, ‘Explain this saying to us.’
16 And Jesus said, Are all of you also yet without understanding?
‘What, do even you understand nothing yet?’ Jesus exclaimed.
17 Do not all of you yet understand, that whatsoever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
‘Don’t you see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is afterwards expelled?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
But the things that come out of the mouth proceed from the heart, and it is these that defile a person;
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts – murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, perjury, slander.
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands defiles not a man.
These are the things that defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.’
21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
On going away from that place, Jesus went to the country round Tyre and Sidon.
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, you son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
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.’
23 But he answered her not a word. (logos) And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she cries after us.
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.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
‘I was not sent,’ replied Jesus, ‘to anyone except the lost sheep of Israel.’
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
But the woman came, and, bowing to the ground before him, said, ‘Master, help me.’
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
‘It is not fair,’ replied Jesus, ‘to take the children’s food and throw it to dogs.’
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
‘Yes, Master,’ she said, ‘for even dogs do feed on the scraps that fall from their owners’ table.’
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is your faith: be it unto you even as you will. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
‘Your faith is great,’ was his reply to the woman, ‘it will be as you wish!’ And her daughter was cured that very hour.
29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
On leaving that place, Jesus went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee; and then went up the hill, and sat down.
30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, physically disabled, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:
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;
31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the physically disabled to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
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.
32 Then 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.
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; they might faint on the way home.’
33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
‘Where can we,’ his disciples asked, ‘in a lonely place find enough bread for such a crowd as this?’
34 And Jesus says unto them, How many loaves have all of you? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
‘How many loaves have you?’ said Jesus. ‘Seven,’ they answered, ‘and a few small fish.’
35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
Telling the crowd to sit down on the ground,
36 And 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.
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.
37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken food that was left seven baskets full.
Everyone had sufficient to eat, and they picked up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left.
38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
The men who ate were four thousand in number without counting women and children.
39 And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.
Then, after dismissing the crowds, Jesus got into the boat, and went to the region of Magadan.
