Mark 7
Intro: What defileth a man -- The Syrophoenician woman's child healed.
1 Then came together unto him, the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled (that is to say with unwashen) hands, they found fault.
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash hands oft, eat not; holding the tradition of the elders.
4 And when they come from the market, except they wash their bodies, they eat not.
5 And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables.
6 And the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the traditions of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
7 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit, in vain do they worship me, teaching the doctrines and commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men; the washing of pots and of cups; and many other such like things ye do.
9 And he said unto them, Yea, altogether ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
10 Full will is it written of you, by the prophets whom ye have rejected.
11 They testified these things of a truth, and their blood shall be upon you.
12 Ye have kept not the ordinances of God; for Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death of the transgressor, as it is written in your law; but ye keep not the law.
13 Ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, he is of age. And ye suffer him no more to do aught for his father or his mother; making the word of God of none effect through your tradition which ye have delivered; and many such like things do ye.
14 And when he had called all the people, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one, and understand;
15 There is nothing from without, that entering into a man, can defile him, which is food; but the things which come out of him; those are they that defile the man, that proceedeth forth out of the heart.
16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
17 And when he was entered into the house from among the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
18 And he said unto them, Are ye without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, cannot defile him; because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
19 And he said, That which cometh out of a man, defileth the man.
20 For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness;
21 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
22 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into a house, and would that no man should come unto him.
23 But he could not deny them; for he had compassion upon all men.
24 For a woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him and came and fell at his feet.
25 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
26 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children of the kingdom first be filled; for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
27 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord; thou sayest truly, yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
28 And he said unto her, For this saying, go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
29 And when she was come to her house, she found that the devil had gone out, and her daughter was laid upon the bed.
30 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
31 And they brought unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought him to put his hand upon him.
32 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit and touched his tongue;
33 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
34 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed; and he spake plain.
35 And he charged them that they should tell no man; but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published him;
36 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well; he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.