Matthew 15
1 Then some Pharisees and religious teachers from Jerusalem came to Jesus and asked him,
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the Law came to Jesus, and said,
2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of our forefathers by not washing their hands before they eat a meal?”
“How is it that your disciples break the traditions of our ancestors? For they do not wash their hands when they eat food.”
3 “Why do you break God's commandment because of your tradition?” Jesus replied.
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 said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Those who curse their father or mother should be put to death.’
For God said – ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who abuses his father or mother shall suffer death,’
5 But you say that if someone tells their father or mother, ‘Whatever you might have expected to get from me is now a gift to God,’ then
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 they don't have to honor their father. In this way you've annulled God's word for the sake of your tradition.
he is in no way bound to honor his father.’ In this way you have nullified the words of God for the sake of your traditions.
7 You hypocrites! How well Isaiah described you when he prophesied:
Hypocrites! It was well said by Isaiah when he prophesied about you –
8 ‘These people say they honor me but in their minds they don't care about me.
‘This is a people that honor me with their lips, While their hearts are far removed from me;
9 Their worship of me is pointless. What they teach are just man-made requirements.’”
but vainly do they worship me, For they teach but human precepts.’”
10 He called the crowd over and told them, “Listen, and understand this:
Then Jesus called the people to him, and said, “Listen, and mark my words.
11 it's not what goes into you through your mouth that defiles you. It's what comes out of your mouth that defiles you.”
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 Jesus' disciples came to him and said, “You do realize that the Pharisees were offended by what you said.”
His disciples came up to him, and said, “Do you know that the Pharisees were shocked on hearing what you said?”
13 “Every plant my heavenly Father didn't plant will be uprooted,” Jesus replied.
“Every plant,” Jesus replied, “that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.
14 “Forget about them—they are blind guides. If a blind man leads another blind man, then they'll both fall into a 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 Peter asked, “Please tell us what you mean by this illustration.”
Peter spoke up, “Explain this saying to us.”
16 “Haven't you understood this yet?” replied Jesus.
“What, do even you understand nothing yet?” Jesus exclaimed.
17 “Don't you see that whatever goes in through the mouth then passes through the stomach, and then leaves the body as waste?
“Don’t you see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is afterward expelled?
18 But what comes out through the mouth comes from the mind, and that's what defiles you.
But the things that come out of the mouth proceed from the heart, and it is these that defile a person;
19 For what comes from the mind are evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, and blasphemy
for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts – murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, perjury, slander.
20 and those are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands doesn't defile you.”
These are the things that defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”
21 Jesus left and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
On going away from that place, Jesus went to the country around Tyre and Sidon.
22 A Canaanite woman from that area came, shouting out, “Lord, son of David! Please have mercy on me, because my daughter is suffering badly because she's possessed by a demon!”
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 Jesus didn't reply at all. His disciples came to him and told him, “Tell her to stop following us. All her shouting is really annoying!”
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 “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” Jesus said to the woman.
“I was not sent,” replied Jesus, “to anyone except the lost sheep of Israel.”
25 But the woman came and kneeled before him, and said, “Lord, please help me!”
But the woman came, and, bowing to the ground before him, said, “Master, help me.”
26 “It's not right to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs,” Jesus told her.
“It is not fair,” replied Jesus, “to take the children’s food and throw it to dogs.”
27 “Yes, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat crumbs that fall from their master's table,” she replied.
“Yes, Master,” she said, “for even dogs do feed on the scraps that fall from their owners’ table.”
28 “You have great trust in me,” Jesus answered. “Your wish is granted!” And her daughter was healed immediately.
“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 Jesus returned, passing by the Sea of Galilee. He went into the mountains nearby where he sat down.
On leaving that place, Jesus went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee; and then went up the hill, and sat down.
30 Huge crowds came to him, bringing those who were lame, blind, crippled, dumb, and many others who were sick. They laid them on the ground at his 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 The crowd was astounded at what they saw happen: the deaf could speak, the crippled were healed, the lame could walk, and the blind could see. They praised 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 Jesus called his disciples over and told them, “I feel really sorry for all these people, because they've been with me now for three days, and they have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry, in case they faint on their way home.”
Afterward 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 “Where could we find enough bread here in this desert to feed such a huge crowd?” the disciples responded.
“Where can we,” his disciples asked, “in a lonely place find enough bread for such a crowd as this?”
34 “How many loaves of bread do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven, and a few small fish,” they replied.
“How many loaves have you?” said Jesus. “Seven,” they answered, “and a few small fish.”
35 Jesus told the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Telling the crowd to sit down on the ground,
36 He took the seven loaves and the fish, and after blessing the food he broke it into pieces and gave it to the disciples, and the disciples gave it to the crowds.
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 Everybody ate until they were full, and then they collected the leftovers, filling seven baskets.
Everyone had sufficient to eat, and they picked up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left.
38 Four thousand men ate the food, not counting women and children.
The men who ate were four thousand in number without counting women and children.
39 Then he sent the crowds away, got into a boat, and went to the Magadan region.
Then, after dismissing the crowds, Jesus got into the boat, and went to the region of Magadan.
