Matthew 15

1Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said, 2"Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat." 3He answered them, "And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might have received from me is a gift to God’ 6he is not to honor his father with it. Thus you have made the word of God of no effect for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, when he said: 8‘These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 9In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’"

10And he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand: 11not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." 12Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" 13He answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." 15But Peter said to him, "Explain the parable to us." 16So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? 17Do you not yet see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornications, theft, false witness, slander. 20These are what defile a man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

21And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried to him, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." 23But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us." 24He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me!" 26And he answered, "It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs." 27"Yes, Lord," she said, "yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table." 28Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

29And Jesus went on from there and passed along the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain, and sat down there. 30Then great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others; and they laid them down at his feet, and he healed them. 31So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. 32Now Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have been with me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way." 33Then his disciples said to him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to feed such a great crowd?" 34And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish." 35He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37And they all ate and were satisfied; and they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over. 38Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39And he sent away the crowds, got into the boat, and went to the region of Magadan.