LEB MARK Chapter 7

Human Traditions and God’s Commandments

7 And the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered to him. 2 And they saw that some of his disciples were eating their[fn] bread with unclean—that is, unwashed—hands. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands ritually,[fn] thus[fn] holding fast to the traditions of the elders. 4 And when they come[fn] from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions[fn] which they have received and[fn] hold fast to—for example,[fn] the washing of cups and pitchers and bronze kettles and dining couches.)[fn] 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their[fn] bread with unclean hands?”

• 6 So he said to them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written,‘This people honors me with their[fn] lips,
  • but their heart is far, far away from me.
  • 7  teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’[fn]

8 Abandoning the commandment of God, you hold fast to the tradition of men.”

9 And he said to them, “You splendidly ignore the commandment of God so that you can keep[fn] your tradition. 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’[fn] and, ‘The one who speaks evil of father or mother must certainly die[fn].’[fn] 11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his[fn] father or to his[fn] mother, “Whatever benefit you would have received[fn] from me iscorban”[fn] (that is, a gift to God), 12 you no longer permit him to do anything for his[fn] father or his[fn] mother, 13 thus[fn] making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down, and you do many similar things such as this.”

Defilement from Within

14 And summoning the crowd again, he said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside of a person that is able to defile him by[fn] going into him. But the things that go out of a person are the things that defile a person.”[fn] 17 And when he entered into the house away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “So are you also without understanding? Do you not understand that everything that is outside that goes into a person is not able to defile him? 19 For it does not enter into his heart but into his[fn] stomach, and goes out into the latrine”—thus[fn] declaring all foods clean. 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person, that defiles a person. 21 For from within, from the heart of people, come evil plans, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, 22 adulteries, acts of greed, malicious deeds, deceit, licentiousness, envy,[fn] abusive speech, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”

A Syrophoenician Woman’s Great Faith

24 And from there he set out and[fn] went to the region of Tyre. And when he[fn] entered into a house, he wanted no one to know, and yet he was not able to escape notice. 25 But immediately a woman whose young daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, when she[fn] heard about him, came and[fn] fell down at his feet, 26 Now the woman was a Greek—a Syrophoenician by nationality—and she was asking him that he would expel the demon from her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it[fn] to the dogs!” 28 But she answered and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “Because of this statement, go! The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And when she[fn] went to her home, she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone.

A Man Deaf and Unable to Speak Healed

31 And again he went away from the region of Tyre and[fn] came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they were imploring him that he would place his[fn] hand on him. 33 And he took him away from the crowd by himself and[fn] put his fingers into his ears, and after[fn] spitting, he touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”). 35 And[fn] his ears were opened and his difficulty in speaking was removed[fn] and he began to speak normally. 36 And he ordered them that they should say nothing, but as much as he ordered them not to, they proclaimed it[fn] even more instead. 37 And they were amazed beyond all measure, saying, “He has done all things well! He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak!”