Mark 7

Then the Pharisees, and some of the scribes gathered together to 'Isa, having come from Jerusalem. ²Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands, they found fault. ³(For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders. ⁴They do not eat when they come from the marketplace, unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things, which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.) ⁵The Pharisees and the scribes asked 'Isa, "Why don't your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?"

⁶He answered them, "Well did Shaya prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

'These people honour me with their lips,

But their heart is far from me.

⁷In vain do they worship me;

Their teachings are just rules made by men.'[1]

⁸"For you set aside the commandment of Allah, and hold tightly to the tradition of men--the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things." ⁹He said to them, "Full well do you reject the commandment of Allah, that you may keep your tradition. ¹⁰For Musa said, 'Honour your father and your mother;'[2] and, 'Anyone who speaks evil of his father or mother, let him be put to death.'[3] ¹¹But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Qurban[4], that is to say, given to Allah;"' ¹²then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³making void the word of Allah by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this."

¹⁴He called all the multitude to himself, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand. ¹⁵There is nothing from outside of a man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of a man are those that defile a man. ¹⁶If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"

¹⁷When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable. ¹⁸He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also? Don't you perceive that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, thus making all foods clean?" ²⁰He said, "That which proceeds out of a man, that defiles a man. ²¹For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts, ²²covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. ²³All these evil things come from within, and defile a man."

²⁴From there he arose, and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house, and didn't want anyone to know it, but he couldn't escape notice. ²⁵For a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet. ²⁶Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷But 'Isa said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

²⁸But she answered him, "Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."

²⁹He said to her, "For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter."

³⁰She went away to her house, and found the child having been laid on the bed, with the demon gone out.

³¹Again he departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the region of Decapolis. ³²They brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. They begged him to lay his hand on him. ³³He took him aside from the multitude, privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue. ³⁴Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!" ³⁵Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke clearly. ³⁶He commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more he commanded them, so much the more widely they proclaimed it. ³⁷They were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear, and the mute speak!"