Marcos 7

¹ Now the Pharisees, and some scribes who came from Jerusalem, resorted to Jesus.

² And observing some of his disciples eating with impure hands, that is, unwashed hands;

³ (for the Pharisees, and indeed all the Jews who observed the tradition of the elders, eat not until they have washed their hands by pouring a little water upon them:

⁴ and if they be come from the market, by dipping them; and many other usages there are, which they have adopted, as immersions of cups and pots, and brazen vessels and beds:)

⁵ then the Pharisees and Scribes asked him, Whence comes it that your disciples observe not the tradition of the elders, but eat with unwashed hands?

⁶ He answering, said to them, O hypocrites! well do you suit the character, which Isaiah gave of you, when he said, This people honor me with their lips; but their heart is estranged from me.

⁷ «In vain, however, they worship me, while they teach institutions merely human.»

⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, you retain the traditions of men, immersions of pots and cups, and many other similar practices.

⁹ You judge well, continued he, in annulling the commandment of God, to make room for your traditions.

¹⁰ «For Moses has said,» 'Honor your father and mother' 'and '«Whosoever reviles father or mother, shall be punished with death.»

¹¹ «But you maintain, if a man say to father or mother,'Be it corban (that is, devoted) whatever of mine shall profit you';»

¹² he must not thenceforth do anything for his father or mother;

¹³ thus invalidating the word of God, by the tradition which you have established. And in many other instances you act thus.

¹⁴ Then having called the whole multitude, he said to them, Hearken to me all of you, and be instructed.

¹⁵ There is nothing from without, which entering into the man, can pollute him; but the things which proceed from within the man, are the things that pollute him.

¹⁶ If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁷ When he had withdrawn from the people into a house, his disciples asked him the meaning of that sentence.

¹⁸ He answered, Are you also void of understanding? Do you not perceive, that whatsoever from without enters into the man, can not pollute him;

¹⁹ because it enters not into his heart, but into his stomach, whence all impurities in the victuals pass into the sink.

²⁰ But, added he, that which proceeds out of the man, is what pollutes the man:

²¹ for from within the human heart proceed vicious machinations, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts,

²² insatiable desires, malevolence, fraud, immodesty, envy, calumny, arrogance, levity.

²³ All these evils issue from within, and pollute the man.

²⁴ Then he arose, and went to the frontiers of Tyre and Sidon; and having entered a house, he desired that none might know of him; but he could not be concealed.

²⁵ For a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, hearing of him, came and threw herself at his feet,

²⁶ (the woman was a Greek, a native of Syrophenicia,) and entreated him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷ Jesus answered, Let the children first be satisfied; for it is not seemly to take the children bread, and throw it to the dogs.

²⁸ She replied, True, Sir; yet even the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.

²⁹ He said to her, For this answer go home; the demon is gone out of your daughter.

³⁰ Immediately she went home, and found her daughter lying upon the bed, and freed from the demon.

³¹ Then leaving the borders of Tyre and Sidon, he returned to the sea of Galilee, through the precincts of Decapolis.

³² And they brought to him a deaf man, who had also an impediment in his speech, and entreated him to lay his hand upon him.

³³ Jesus having taken him aside from the crowd, spit upon his own fingers, and put them into the man's ears, and touched his tongue.

³⁴ Then looking up to heaven, and sighing, he said, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

³⁵ Immediately his ears were opened, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke distinctly.

³⁶ He charged them to tell no person: but the more he charged them, the more they published it,

³⁷ saying with inexpressible amazement, He does everything well: he makes both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.