Mark 7

¹And the Pharisees and some of the scribes, arriving from Jerusalem, gathered together before him

²And when they had seen certain ones from his disciples eating bread with common hands, that is, with unwashed hands, they disparaged them

³For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat without repeatedly washing their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders

⁴And when returning from the market, unless they wash, they do not eat. And there are many other things which have been handed down to them to observe: the washings of cups, and pitchers, and bronze containers, and beds

⁵And so the Pharisees and the scribes questioned him: “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but they eat bread with common hands?

⁶But in response, he said to them: “So well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, just as it has been written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me

⁷And in vain do they worship me, teaching the doctrines and precepts of men.

⁸For abandoning the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men, to the washing of pitchers and cups. And you do many other things similar to these.

⁹And he said to them: “You effectively nullify the precept of God, so that you may observe your own tradition

¹⁰For Moses said: ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever will have cursed father or mother, let him die a death.

¹¹But you say, ‘If a man will have said to his father or mother: Korban, (which is a gift) whatever is from me will be to your benefit,

¹²then you do not release him to do anything for his father or mother

¹³rescinding the word of God through your tradition, which you have handed down. And you do many other similar things in this way.

¹⁴And again, calling the crowd to him, he said to them: “Listen to me, all of you, and understand

¹⁵There is nothing from outside a man which, by entering into him, is able to defile him. But the things which proceed from a man, these are what pollute a man

¹⁶Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁷And when he had entered into the house, away from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about the parable

¹⁸And he said to them: “So, are you also without prudence? Do you not understand that everything entering to a man from outside is not able to pollute him

¹⁹For it does not enter into his heart, but into the gut, and it exits into the sewer, purging all foods.

²⁰“But,” he said “the things which go out from a man, these pollute a man

²¹For from within, from the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders

²²thefts, avarice, wickedness, deceitfulness, homosexuality, an evil eye, blasphemy, self-exaltation, foolishness

²³All these evils proceed from within and pollute a man.

²⁴And rising up, he went from there to the area of Tyre and Sidon. And entering into a house, he intended no one to know about it, but he was not able to remain hidden

²⁵For a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit, as soon as she heard about him, entered and fell prostrate at his feet

²⁶For the woman was a Gentile, by birth a Syro-Phoenician. And she petitioned him, so that he would cast the demon from her daughter

²⁷And he said to her: “First allow the sons to have their fill. For it is not good to take away the bread of the sons and throw it to the dogs.

²⁸But she responded by saying to him: “Certainly, Lord. Yet the young dogs also eat, under the table, from the crumbs of the children.

²⁹And he said to her, “Because of this saying, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.

³⁰And when she had gone to her house, she found the girl lying on the bed; and the demon had gone away

³¹And again, departing from the borders of Tyre, he went by way of Sidon to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the area of the Ten Cities

³²And they brought someone who was deaf and mute to him. And they begged him, so that he would lay his hand upon him

³³And taking him away from the crowd, he put his fingers into his ears; and spitting, he touched his tongue

³⁴And gazing up to heaven, he groaned and said to him: “Ephphatha,” which is, “Be opened.

³⁵And immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke correctly

³⁶And he instructed them not to tell anyone. But as much as he instructed them, so much more did they preach about it

³⁷And so much more did they wonder, saying: “He has done all things well. He has caused both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.