Mark 7
1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered together to him, having come from Jerusalem.
[One day some] Pharisees and some men who teach the [Jewish] laws gathered around Jesus. They had come from Jerusalem [to investigate him].
2 Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is unwashed, hands, they found fault.
The Pharisees and all of the [other] Jews [strictly] observe the traditions that their ancestors [taught. For example, they refuse to] eat until they first wash their hands [with a special ritual], especially after they [return] from [buying things in] the marketplace. [They think that God will be angry with them if they do not do that, because some person or thing unacceptable to God might have touched] ([them/the things they bought]). There are many other such [traditions] that they accept and try to obey. Specifically, they wash [in a special way] their cups, pots, kettles, containers, and beds [in order that using these things will not make God reject them].
3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders.
4 They do not eat when they come from the marketplace unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.)
5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do not your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?”
That day, those Pharisees and men who taught the [Jewish] laws saw that some of his disciples were eating food with hands that they had not washed [using the special ritual]. So they questioned Jesus, saying, “[Your] disciples disobey the traditions of our ancestors! (You should not [let them] eat food if they have not washed their hands [using our special ritual]!/Why do you [let them] eat food if they have not washed their hands [using our special ritual]?) [RHQ]”
6 He answered them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Jesus said to them, “Isaiah [rebuked your ancestors], and his words describe very well you people who only pretend to be good! He wrote these words [that God said]: These people speak [as if they] honor me, but they [SYN] really do not think about honoring me at all.
7 They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
It is useless for them to worship me, because they teach only what people have commanded [as if I myself had commanded them].
8 “For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.”
You, [like your ancestors], refuse [to do] what God has commanded. Instead, you follow only the traditions that (others/your ancestors) have [taught].”
9 He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
Jesus also said to them, “[You think] [IRO] that you are clever in refusing to do what God commanded just so that you can obey your own traditions!
10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’
[For example, our ancestor] Moses [wrote God’s] command, ‘Honor your fathers and your mothers’. He also wrote, ‘[The authorities must] execute a person who speaks evil about his father or mother.’
11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban,”’” that is to say, given to God,
But you [teach people that it is all right that people no longer must help their parents. You teach people that it is all right if people] give their things to God [instead of giving them to their parents]. You allow them to say to their parents, ‘What I was going to give to you [to provide for you, I have now promised to] give to God. So I [cannot any longer help you]!’ As a result, you are [actually telling people] that they no longer have to help their parents!
12 “then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother,
13 making void the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”
And, by doing that, you disregard what God commanded! You teach your own traditions to others [and tell them strongly that they should obey them] And you do many other things like that.”
14 He called all the multitude to himself and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Then Jesus again summoned the crowd [to come closer. Then] he said to them [figuratively], “All of you people listen to me! [Try to] understand [DOU] [what I am about to tell you].
15 There is nothing from outside of the man that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.
Nothing that people eat causes [God to] consider them to be unacceptable. On the contrary, it is that which comes from people’s (inner beings/hearts) that causes God to reject them.”
16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
17 When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable.
After Jesus had left the crowd and then entered a house with the disciples, they asked him about the parable [that he had just spoken].
18 He said to them, “Are you also without understanding? Do not you perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him,
He replied, “([I am disappointed that] you also do not understand [what it means]!/Why can you not understand [what it means]?) [RHQ] (You ought to understand that nothing that [enters us from] outside can cause [God to] consider us unacceptable to him./Can you not understand that nothing that [enters us from] outside of us can cause [God to] consider us unacceptable to him?) [RHQ]
19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, making all foods clean?”
Instead of entering [and ruining] our minds/souls, it goes into our stomachs, and afterwards the refuse passes out [of our bodies].” By saying this, Jesus was declaring that people [can eat] any food without causing [God] to reject them.
20 He said, “That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man.
He also said, “It is the [thoughts and actions] that come from within people that cause [God] to consider them unacceptable to him.
21 For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts,
Specifically, it is people’s innermost being [that causes them to] think things that are evil; they act immorally, they steal [things], they commit murder.
22 covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.
They [commit] adultery, they are greedy, they [act] maliciously, they deceive [people]. They [act] indecently, they envy [people], they speak evil about others, they are proud, and they [act] foolishly.
23 All these evil things come from within and defile the man.”
People think [these thoughts] and then they do these evil actions, and that is what causes [God to] consider them unacceptable to him.”
24 From there he arose and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house and did not want anyone to know it, but he could not escape notice.
After Jesus [and his disciples] left [Galilee district], they went to the region around Tyre. While he stayed at a certain house, he desired that no one know [it], but people soon found out [that he was there].
25 For a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet.
A certain woman, whose daughter had an evil spirit [within her], heard about Jesus. At once she came to him and prostrated herself at his feet.
26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter.
This woman [was not a Jew. Her ancestors came] from Greece [country], but she was born in [the region around] Phoenicia [town] in Syria district. She pleaded with Jesus that he expel the evil spirit from her daughter.
27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
But he [wanted to see how strongly she believed in him. So, suggesting that he should help the Jews first and not the non-Jews whom some Jews called dogs] [MET], [he] spoke to her saying, “First let the children eat all they want, because it is not good for someone to take the food [the mother has prepared] for the children and then throw it to the [little] dogs.”
28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
But [to show that she believed that non-Jews could also receive help from God] [MET], she replied to him, “Sir, [what you say is] correct, but even the [little] dogs, which lie under the table, eat the crumbs that the children [drop].”
29 He said to her, “For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter.”
[Jesus] said to her, “Because of what you have said, [you have shown me that you believe in what I can do for you]. So I will help you. Now you may go [home, because I have caused] the evil spirit to leave your daughter.”
30 She went away to her house, and found the child having been laid on the bed, with the demon gone out.
The woman returned to her house and saw that her child was lying [quietly] on the bed and that the evil spirit had left.
31 Again he departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee through the middle of the region of Decapolis.
Jesus [and his disciples] left the region around Tyre [city] and went [north] through Sidon [city], then [toward the east] through the district of the Ten Towns, and then [south] to [the towns near] Lake Galilee.
32 They brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. They begged him to lay his hand on him.
[There], people brought to him a man who was deaf and who could hardly talk. They begged [Jesus] to lay his hands on him [in order to heal him].
33 He took him aside from the multitude privately and put his fingers into his ears; and he spat and touched his tongue.
[So Jesus] took him away from the crowd [in order that the two of them could be] alone. Then he put [one of] his fingers into [each of] the man’s ears. After he spat [on his fingers], he touched the man’s tongue [with his fingers].
34 Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”
Then he looked up toward heaven, he sighed [because he was concerned for the man], and then [in his own language] he said to the man’s [ears], “Ephphatha”, which means, “Be opened {Open up}!”.
35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke clearly.
At once the man could hear plainly [MTY]. He also began to speak clearly because [what was causing him to be unable to speak] was healed {Jesus healed [what was causing him to be unable to speak]}.
36 He commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more he commanded them, so much the more widely they proclaimed it.
Jesus told ([the people/his friends]) not to tell anyone [what he had done]. But, although he ordered them [and others] repeatedly [not to tell anyone about it], they kept talking about it very much.
37 They were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear and the mute speak!”
[People who heard about it] were utterly amazed and were saying [enthusiastically], “Everything he has done is wonderful! [Besides doing other amazing things], he enables deaf people to hear! And he enables those who cannot speak to speak!”
