Mark 7
1 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
The Pharisees and religious leaders who had come down from Jerusalem to meet Jesus
2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
noticed that some of his disciples ate with “unclean” (meaning unwashed) hands.
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash [their] hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
(The Pharisees and all Jews don't eat until they wash their hands, following the tradition of their ancestors.
4 And [when they come] from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, [as] the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
In the same way, they don't eat when they return from the market until they have had a wash. They observe many other rituals, like the washing of cups, pots, and pans.)
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
So the Pharisees and religious leaders asked Jesus, “Why don't your disciples follow the tradition of our ancestors? They eat food with unclean hands.”
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with [their] lips, but their heart is far from me.
Jesus replied, “Isaiah was right about you hypocrites when he said, ‘These people claim they honor me, but in their thinking they are far from me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.
There's no point in their worship of me, for what they teach as doctrines are merely human rules.’
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, [as] the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
You disregard God's law, and instead you carefully observe human traditions,” he told them.
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
“How cleverly you set aside God's law so you can support your traditions!
10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Whoever curses their father or mother should die.’
11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, [It is] Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; [he shall be free].
But you say that if someone tells their father or mother, ‘Anything you might have received from me is now Corban,’ (that means dedicated to God),
12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
then you don't permit them to do anything further for their mother or father.
13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
By means of this tradition of yours that you pass down, you make God's word null and void. You do many other things like this.”
14 And when he had called all the people [unto him], he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one [of you], and understand:
Jesus called the crowd to him again and told them, “Please, everyone listen to me and understand.
15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
It's not what's on the outside and goes into you that makes you unclean. It's what comes out that makes you unclean.”
16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
Then Jesus went inside to escape the crowd, and his disciples asked him about his illustration.
18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, [it] cannot defile him;
“Don't you understand it either?” he asked them. “Don't you see that what you eat doesn't make you unclean?
19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
It doesn't go into your mind, but into your stomach, and then passes out of the body. So all foods are ceremonially ‘clean.’
20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
It's what comes out of you that makes you unclean.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
It's from the inside, from people's minds, that evil thoughts come: sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
greed, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, thoughtlessness—
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
all these evils come from inside and defile people.”
24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know [it]: but he could not be hid.
Then Jesus left and went to the region of Tyre. He didn't want anyone to know he was staying in a house there, but he couldn't keep it a secret.
25 For a [certain] woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
As soon as a woman, whose little daughter had an evil spirit, heard about him she came and fell at his feet.
26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
The woman was Greek, born in Syrophoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive out the demon from her daughter.
27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast [it] unto the dogs.
“First let the children eat until they're full,” Jesus replied. “It's not right to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.”
28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.
“True, sir,” she said, “but even the dogs under the table eat the scraps the children leave.”
29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
Jesus told her, “For such an answer you may go—the demon has left your daughter.”
30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
She went home and found the child lying on the bed, the demon gone.
31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
Leaving the region of Tyre, Jesus passed through Sidon and then on to the Sea of Galilee and the territory of the Ten Cities.
32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
There they brought him a deaf man who also could not speak properly. They asked Jesus to touch the man with his hand and heal him.
33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
After Jesus took him aside from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers in the deaf man's ears. Then he touched the man's tongue with spit.
34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
Jesus looked up to heaven and with a sigh he said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Open!”
35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
The man's ears were opened, his speech impediment was gone, and he began speaking properly.
36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published [it];
Jesus gave strict orders not to tell anyone, but the more he said this, the more they spread the news.
37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
They were totally amazed and said, “Everything he does is marvelous. He even makes the deaf hear, and the dumb speak.”
