Mat 15:2-20 | ESV | STEP | Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders ? For they do not wash their hands when they eat .

2 ^a“Why do your disciples break ^bthe tradition of the elders? ^cFor they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ^d‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ^e‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But 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} 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have ^gmade void the word ^{▼▼Some manuscripts law} of God. 7 ⁱYou hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

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

What Defiles a Person

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, ^l“Hear and understand: 11 ^mit is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were ⁿoffended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, ^o“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted ^pwill be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; ^qthey are blind guides. ^{▼▼Some manuscripts add of the blind} And ^sif the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, ^t“Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, ^u“Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that ^vwhatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? ^{▼▼Greek is expelled into the latrine} 18 But ^xwhat comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come ^yevil thoughts, ^zmurder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, ^aaslander. 20 ^abThese are what defile a person. But ^acto eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”