Mark 7

1 And the Pharisees gather to him, and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem; 2 and they saw that some of his disciples were eating their bread with common hands — that is, unwashed — [a] 3 for the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands with a fist, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they immerse themselves; and there are many other things they have received to hold to: immersions of cups and pitchers and copper vessels and dining couches — [b] 5 and the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with common hands?”

6 But he said to them, “Isaiah prophesied well about you hypocrites, as it is written: †

8 Leaving the command of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” 9 And he was saying to them, “How well you set aside the command of God, so that you may keep your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘The one who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.’ [e] 11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, “Korban” — that is, a gift — “whatever you would have gained from me,”’ [f] 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13 making the word of God void by your tradition, which you have handed down. And you do many such things like this.”

14 And calling the crowd to him again he was saying to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand. 15 There is nothing outside a person going into him that can make him common; but the things that come out of a person are what make the person common.” [g]

17 And when he had gone into a house away from the crowd, his disciples were asking him about the parable. 18 And he says to them, “Are you also without understanding? Do you not see that nothing going into a person from outside can make him common, 19 because it does not go into his heart but into his belly, and goes out into the latrine?” — cleansing all foods. [h] †

20 And he was saying, “What comes out of a person, that is what makes a person common. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, come the evil reasonings: sexual immorality, thefts, murders, 22 adulteries, acts of greed, acts of wickedness, deceit, indecency, an evil eye, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. [i] 23 All these evil things come out from within and make a person common.”

24 And rising up from there he went away into the region of Tyre. And going into a house he wanted no one to know it, and he could not escape notice; [j] 25 but at once a woman heard about him, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, and she came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth; and she was asking him to throw the demon out of her daughter. [k]

27 And he was saying to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 28 But she answered and says to him, “Lord, even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “Because of this word, go — the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And she went away to her house and found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone out.

31 And going out again from the region of Tyre he came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the middle of the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they bring him a man who was deaf and could hardly speak, and they beg him to lay his hand on him. [l] 33 And taking him aside from the crowd by himself, he put his fingers into his ears, and spitting, he touched his tongue; 34 and looking up to heaven he groaned, and says to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” [m] 35 And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he was speaking correctly.

36 And he ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more abundantly they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astounded beyond all measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and those who cannot speak, speak.”