Mark

The Gospel according to Saint Mark, chapter 7, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 7 New English Translation

Breaking Human Traditions

   1 Now the Pharisees and some of the experts in the law who came from Jerusalem gathered around him. 2 And they saw that some of Jesus' disciples ate their bread with unclean hands, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they perform a ritual washing, holding fast to the tradition of the elders. 4 And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. They hold fast to many other traditions: the washing of cups, pots, kettles, and dining couches. ) 5 The Pharisees and the experts in the law asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with unwashed hands?" 6 He said to them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.'
   8 Having no regard for the command of God, you hold fast to human tradition." 9 He also said to them, "You neatly reject the commandment of God in order to set up your tradition. 10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother, ' and, 'Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.' 11 But you say that if anyone tells his father or mother, 'Whatever help you would have received from me is corban' (that is, a gift for God), 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like this."
   14 Then he called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand. 15 There is nothing outside of a person that can defile him by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles him."
   17 Now when Jesus had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 He said to them, "Are you so foolish? Don't you understand that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him? 19 For it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and then goes out into the sewer." (This means all foods are clean. ) 20 He said, "What comes out of a person defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the human heart, come evil ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly. 23 All these evils come from within and defile a person."

A Syrophoenician Woman's Faith

   24 After Jesus left there, he went to the region of Tyre. When he went into a house, he did not want anyone to know, but he was not able to escape notice. 25 Instead, a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him and came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, of Syrophoenician origin. She asked him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and to throw it to the dogs." 28 She answered, "Yes, LORD, but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." 29 Then he said to her, "Because you said this, you may go. The demon has left your daughter." 30 She went home and found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Healing a Deaf Mute

   31 Then Jesus went out again from the region of Tyre and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee in the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had difficulty speaking, and they asked him to place his hands on him. 33 After Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, he put his fingers in the man's ears, and after spitting, he touched his tongue. 34 Then he looked up to heaven and said with a sigh, "Ephphatha" (that is, "Be opened"). 35 And immediately the man's ears were opened, his tongue loosened, and he spoke plainly. 36 Jesus ordered them not to tell anything. But as much as he ordered them not to do this, they proclaimed it all the more. 37 People were completely astounded and said, "He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

King James Version

   1 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
   2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
   3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
   4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
   5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
   6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
   7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
   8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
   9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
   10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
   11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
   12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
   13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
   14 ¶ And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:
   15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
   16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
   17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
   18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
   19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
   20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
   21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
   22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
   23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
   24 ¶ And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.
   25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
   26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
   27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
   28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
   29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
   30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
   31 ¶ And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
   32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
   33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
   34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
   35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
   36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;
   37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.