E4.org

Matthew 15:1-20

Traditions and Commandments

1 ^aThen Pharisees and ^bscribes came to Jesus ^cfrom Jerusalem and said, 2 ^d“Why do your disciples break ^ethe tradition of the elders? ^fFor 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 ^g‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ^h‘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 ^jmade void the word ^{▼

▼
Some manuscripts law} of God. 7 ^lYou hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

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

What Defiles a Person

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, ^o“Hear and understand: 11 ^pit 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 ^qoffended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, ^r“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted ^swill be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; ^tthey are blind guides. ^{▼

▼
Some manuscripts add of the blind} And ^vif the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him ^w“Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, ^x“Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that ^ywhatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? ^{▼

▼
Greek is expelled into the latrine} 18 But ^aawhat comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come ^abevil thoughts ^acmurder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness ^adslander. 20 ^aeThese are what defile a person. But ^afto eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”