Matthew 15

Traditions and Commandments

1 aThen Pharisees and bscribes came to Jesus cfrom Jerusalem and said, 2 dWhy do your disciples break ethe tradition of the elders? fFor they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3He answered them, And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God commanded, gHonor your father and your mother,’ and, h‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,”
Or  is an offering
6he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have jmade void the word
Some manuscripts law
of God.
7 lYou hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8 m“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9in vain do they worship me,
teaching as ndoctrines the commandments of men.’”

What Defiles a Person

10And he called the people to him and said to them, oHear and understand: 11 pit is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were qoffended when they heard this saying?” 13He answered, rEvery plant that my heavenly Father has not planted swill be rooted up. 14Let them alone; tthey are blind guides.
Some manuscripts add of the blind
And vif the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
15But Peter said to him, wExplain the parable to us.” 16And he said, xAre you also still without understanding? 17Do you not see that ywhatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?
Greek  is expelled into the latrine
18But aawhat comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19For out of the heart come abevil thoughts, acmurder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, adslander. 20 aeThese are what defile a person. But afto eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

21 agAnd Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22And behold, aha Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, ai“Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, aj“Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24He answered, akI was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25But she came and alknelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and amthrow it to the dogs.” 27She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat anthe crumbs that fall from their masterstable.” 28Then Jesus answered her, O woman, aogreat is your faith! apBe it done for you as you desire.” aqAnd her daughter was arhealed instantly.
Greek from that hour


Jesus Heals Many

29 atJesus went on from there and walked aubeside the Sea of Galilee. And he avwent up on the mountain and sat down there. 30And great crowds came to him, bringing with them awthe lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 axso that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, aythe crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And azthey glorified bathe God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

32 bbThen Jesus called his disciples to him and said, bc“I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” 34And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, bdSeven, and a few small fish.” 35And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36he took the seven loaves and the fish, and behaving given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37And bfthey all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of bgMagadan.

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