Mark 7

₁The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus ₂and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. ₃(The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. ₄When they come from the market-place they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)

₅So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, ‘Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?’

₆He replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

₉And he continued, ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! ₁₀For Moses said, “Honour your father and mother,” and, “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.” ₁₁But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God) – ₁₂then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. ₁₃Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.’

₁₄Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. ₁₅Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.’ _[16]

₁₇After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. ₁₈‘Are you so dull?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? ₁₉For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.’ (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)

₂₀He went on: ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles them. ₂₁For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come – sexual immorality, theft, murder, ₂₂adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. ₂₃All these evils come from inside and defile a person.’

₂₄Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. ₂₅In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. ₂₆The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

₂₇‘First let the children eat all they want,’ he told her, ‘for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’

₂₈‘Lord,’ she replied, ‘even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’

₂₉Then he told her, ‘For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.’

₃₀She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

₃₁Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. ₃₂There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.

₃₃After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spat and touched the man’s tongue. ₃₄He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (which means ‘Be opened!’). ₃₅At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosed and he began to speak plainly.

₃₆Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. ₃₇People were overwhelmed with amazement. ‘He has done everything well,’ they said. ‘He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.’