Mark, 7

1. One day the Pharisees gathered around Jesus and with them were some teachers of the Law who had just come from Jerusalem.

2. They noticed that some of his disciples were eating their meal with unclean hands, that is, without washing them.

3. Now the Pharisees, and in fact, all the Jews, never eat without washing their hands for they follow the tradition received from their ancestors.

4. Nor do they eat anything when they come from the market without first washing themselves. And there are many other traditions they observe, for example, the ritual washing of cups, pots and plates.

5. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law asked him, "Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders, but eat with unclean hands?"

6. Jesus answered, "You, shallow people! How well Isaiah prophesied of you when he wrote: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7. The worship they offer me is worthless, for what they teach are only human rules.

8. You even put aside the commandment of God to hold fast to human tradition."

9. And Jesus commented, "You have a fine way of disregarding the commandment of God in order to implant your own tradition.

10. For example, Moses said: Do your duty to your father and your mother, and: Whoever curses his father or his mother is to be put to death.

11. But according to you someone could say to his father or mother: 'I already declared Corban, which means "offered to God," what you could have expected from me.'

12. In this case, you no longer let him do anything for a father or mother.

13. So you nullify the word of God through the tradition you have handed on. And you do many other things like that."

14. Jesus then called the people to him again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand.

15. Nothing that enters one from outside can make that person unclean. It is what comes out from within that makes unclean.

16. Let everyone who has ears listen."

17. When Jesus got home and was away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about this saying

18. and he replied, "So even you are dull? Do you not see that whatever comes from outside cannot make a person unclean?

19. Since it enters, not the heart but the stomach and is finally passed out." Thus Jesus declared that all foods are clean.

20. And he went on, "What comes out of a person is what defiles,

21. for evil designs come out of the heart: theft, murder,

22. adultery, jealousy, greed, maliciousness, deceit, indecency, slander, pride and folly.

23. All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean."

24. When Jesus left that place he went to the border of the Tyrian country. There he entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there, but he could not remain hidden.

25. A woman whose small daughter had an evil spirit, heard of him and came and fell at his feet.

26. Now this woman was a pagan, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.

27. Jesus told her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

28. But she replied, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the crumbs from the children's bread."

29. Then Jesus said to her, "You may go your way; because of such a reply the demon has gone out of your daughter."

30. And when the woman went home, she found her child lying in bed and the demon gone.

31. Again Jesus set out; from the country of Tyre he passed through Sidon and skirting the sea of Galilee he came to the territory of Decapolis.

32. There a deaf man who also had difficulty in speaking was brought to him. They asked Jesus to lay his hand upon him.

33. Jesus took him apart from the crowd, put his fingers into the man's ears and touched his tongue with spittle.

34. Then, looking up to heaven, he groaned and said to him, "Ephphetha," that is, "Be opened."

35. And his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly.

36. Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone, but the more he insisted on this, the more they proclaimed it.

37. The people were completely astonished and said, "He has done all things well; he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak."