Matthew

The Gospel according to Saint Matthew, chapter 15, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 15 New English Translation

Breaking Human Traditions

   1 Then Pharisees and experts in the law came from Jerusalem to Jesus and said, 2 "Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don't wash their hands when they eat." 3 He answered them, "And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.' 5 But you say, 'If someone tells his father or mother, "Whatever help you would have received from me is given to God, " 6 he does not need to honor his father.' You have nullified the word of God on account of your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said,
   8 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me,
   9 and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

True Defilement

   10 Then he called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11 What defiles a person is not what goes into the mouth; it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person." 12 Then the disciples came to him and said, "Do you know that when the Pharisees heard this saying they were offended?" 13 And he replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14 Leave them! They are blind guides. If someone who is blind leads another who is blind, both will fall into a pit." 15 But Peter said to him, "Explain this parable to us." 16 Jesus said, "Even after all this, are you still so foolish? 17 Don't you understand that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and then passes out into the sewer? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are the things that defile a person; it is not eating with unwashed hands that defiles a person."

A Canaanite Woman's Faith

   21 After going out from there, Jesus went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that area came and cried out, "Have mercy on me, LORD, Son of David! My daughter is horribly demon-possessed!" 23 But he did not answer her a word. Then his disciples came and begged him, "Send her away, because she keeps on crying out after us." 24 So he answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But she came and bowed down before him and said, "LORD, help me!" 26 "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs, " he said. 27 "Yes, LORD, " she replied, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, your faith is great! Let what you want be done for you." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Healing Many Others

   29 When he left there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up a mountain, where he sat down. 30 Then large crowds came to him bringing with them the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others. They laid them at his feet, and he healed them. 31 As a result, the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.

The Feeding of the Four Thousand

   32 Then Jesus called the disciples and said, "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days and they have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry since they may faint on the way." 33 The disciples said to him, "Where can we get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy so great a crowd?" 34 Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They replied, "Seven - and a few small fish." 35 After instructing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples, who then gave them to the crowds. 37 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 38 Not counting children and women, there were four thousand men who ate. 39 After sending away the crowd, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

King James Version

   1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
   2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
   3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
   4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
   5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
   6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
   7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
   8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
   9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
   10 ¶ And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
   11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
   12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
   13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
   14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
   15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
   16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
   17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
   18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
   19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
   20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
   21 ¶ Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
   22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
   23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
   24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
   25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
   26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
   27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
   28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
   29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
   30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:
   31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
   32 ¶ Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
   33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
   34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
   35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
   36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
   37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.
   38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
   39 And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.