1The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus2and 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.[1])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: ‘ “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.7They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” (Isa 29:13)8You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.’9And he continued, ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[2] your own traditions!10For Moses said, “Honour your father and mother,”[3] and, “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.”[4] (Ex 20:12; Ex 21:17; Le 20:9; De 5:16)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.15-16Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.’[5]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.’
Jesus honours a Syro-Phoenician woman’s faith
24Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.[6] 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.
Jesus heals a deaf and mute man
31Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.[7]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.’
Mark 7
English Standard Version
Traditions and Commandments
1Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, (Mt 15:1; Mr 3:22)2they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (Ac 10:14; Ro 14:14)3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly,[1] holding to the tradition of the elders, (Ga 1:14; Col 2:8; Heb 11:2)4and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.[2] And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.[3]) (Mt 23:25; Lu 11:39; Joh 2:6; Heb 9:10)5And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” (Mr 7:2; Mr 7:3; Lu 11:38)6And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; (Isa 29:13; Eze 33:31; Mt 23:13)7in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ (Col 2:22; Tit 1:14)8You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”9And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! (Lu 7:30; Ga 2:21; Heb 10:28)10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ (Ex 20:12; Ex 21:17)11But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)[4]—12then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother,13thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Ro 2:23; Ga 3:17)
What Defiles a Person
14And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: (Mt 13:51)15There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”[5] (Ac 10:14)17And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. (Mt 13:36; Mt 15:15; Mr 9:28)18And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, (Mr 8:17)19since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?”[6] (Thus he declared all foods clean.) (Lu 11:41; Ac 10:15; Ac 11:9; 1Co 6:13)20And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. (Mt 12:34; Jas 3:6)21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, (Ex 20:13; Ex 20:17; Mt 5:22; Mt 5:28)22coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. (Mt 6:23; Lu 1:51; 2Co 12:21; Ga 5:19; Eph 4:19; Eph 4:31; Eph 5:17; Col 3:8; 1Ti 6:4; 2Pe 2:7; Jud 1:4)23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (1Co 6:9)
The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith
24And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon.[7] And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.25But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.26Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. (Joh 12:20; Ac 21:2; 1Co 12:13)27And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” (Mt 7:6; Ac 3:26; Ro 1:16)28But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” (Lu 16:21)29And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” (Joh 4:50)30And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
Jesus Heals a Deaf Man
31Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. (Mt 4:18; Mt 4:25; Mt 15:29; Mr 5:20; Joh 6:1)32And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. (Isa 35:5; Mr 5:23)33And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. (Mr 8:23)34And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” (Mr 6:41; Mr 8:12; Joh 11:33)35And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. (Mr 7:32)36And Jesus[8] charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. (Mt 8:4; Mt 9:31; Mr 1:45; Mr 9:9)37And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (Mr 10:26)