Mark 7
Traditions and Commandments
aNow when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes bwho had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were adefiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to athe tradition of bthe elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as athe washing of bcups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to athe tradition of bthe elders, cbut eat with ddefiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you ahypocrites, as it is written,
b“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as adoctrines the commandments of men.’
8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”
9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of arejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, a‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, b‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus amaking void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
What Defiles a Person
14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, a“Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 aThere is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17 And when he had entered athe house and left the people, bhis disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then aare you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart abut his stomach, and is expelled?” (bThus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, a“What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, amurder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, asensuality, benvy, cslander, dpride, efoolishness. 23 aAll these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith
24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 aNow the woman was a bGentile, ca Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be afed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and bthrow it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s acrumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may ago your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
Jesus Heals a Deaf Man
31 aThen he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to bthe Sea of Galilee, in the region of the cDecapolis. 32 And they brought to him aa man who was deaf and ahad a speech impediment, and they begged him to blay his hand on him. 33 And ataking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and aafter spitting touched his tongue. 34 And alooking up to heaven, bhe sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 aAnd his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And aJesus charged them to tell no one. But bthe more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were aastonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.