Matthew 15

The Traditions of the Elders

1Then 1the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said, 2“Why do yoʋr disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God 2commanded, ‘Honor yoʋr father and yoʋr mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of his father or mother must surely die.’ 5But you say, ‘If anyone says to his father or mother, “Whatever benefit yoʋ might have received from me is now a gift devoted to God,” 3then he certainly need not honor his father 4or his mother.’ 6You have nullified the 5commandment of God for the sake of your tradition. 7Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said,

8‘This people 6draws near to me with their mouth

and honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me.

9They worship me in vain,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

10Then Jesus called the crowd over and said to them, “Listen and understand: 11It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person; it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.” 12Then 7his disciples came and said to him, “Do yoʋ know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard what yoʋ said?” 13Jesus answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14Leave them be; they are blind guides 8of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.”

15Then Peter said to him in response, “Explain 9this parable to us.” 16Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17Do you not 10yet understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled into the latrine? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these defile a person. 19For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false testimony, and slander. 20These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”

A Canaanite Woman's Faith

21Then Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came and cried out 11to him, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” 23But he did not respond to her at all. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24In response Jesus said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25But she came and bowed down before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26He replied, “It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters.” 28Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is yoʋr faith; it will be done for yoʋ as yoʋ wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Jesus Heals Many

29Departing from there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on the mountain and sat down. 30Large crowds came to him, having with them the 12lame, blind, mute, crippled, and many others. They put them at the feet of Jesus, and he healed them. 31So the 13crowds were amazed when they 14saw the mute speaking, 15the crippled made well, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

The Feeding of the Four Thousand

32Then Jesus called his disciples over and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have stayed with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away without having eaten, lest they faint on the way.” 3316His disciples said to him, “Where can we get so many loaves in such a desolate place to fill such a large crowd?” 34Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35So he commanded the crowds to sit down on the ground, 36and taking the seven loaves and the fish, he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to 17his disciples, and the disciples gave them to the 18crowd. 37They all ate and were filled, and the disciples picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven baskets full. 38Besides women and children, there were four thousand men who had eaten. 39After sending the crowds away, Jesus got into the boat and went to the region of 19Magdala.