Matthew 15:1-20

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.”

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