Mark 7

Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for holding to human traditions while neglecting the commandments of God. He teaches that defilement comes from the heart, not from unwashed hands, then heals the daughter of a Syrophenician woman and a deaf man with a speech impediment.

v	King James Version	Modern English
1	Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.	The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus.
2	And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.	They saw some of His disciples eating bread with hands that were defiled — that is, unwashed. They found fault with this.
3	For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.	The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands carefully, holding to 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.	When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. They also observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and dining couches.
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?	The Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders? Why do they eat with unwashed 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.	He answered them, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors 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.	"'Their worship of Me is worthless. They teach as 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.	You have set aside the commandment of God to hold to the tradition of men, such as the washing of pots and cups — and You do many other like things."
9	And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.	He also said to them, "You skillfully set aside God's commandment in order to 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:	For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Whoever curses father or mother must be put to 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.	But you say that if a man tells his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might have received from me is Corban' — that is, a gift devoted to God — He is no longer required to do anything for His father or mother.
12	And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;	That way you let him do nothing more for his father or mother.
13	Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.	So you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. You do many things like that.
14	And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:	He called the crowd to Him again and said, "Listen to Me, all 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.	Nothing that goes into a man from outside can defile him. It is the things that come out of a man that defile him.
16	If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.	If anyone has 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.	When He had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples asked Him about 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;	He said to them, "Are you also without understanding? Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from outside can defile him?"
19	Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?	"It does not enter his heart but his stomach, and then is expelled, purging all foods."
20	And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.	He said, "What comes out of a man — that is what defiles him."
21	For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,	For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22	Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:	thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
23	All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.	All these evil things come from inside a man and defile him.
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.	Jesus left there and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. He entered a house and wanted no one to know he was there, but he could not stay hidden.
25	For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:	A woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him. She 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.	The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth. She begged Him to drive the demon 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.	Jesus said to her, "Let the children be satisfied first. It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."
28	And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.	She answered, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."
29	And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.	Then He told her, "Because of what You have said, go. The demon has left Your daughter."
30	And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.	She went home and found her child lying on the bed — the demon was gone.
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.	Then Jesus departed from the region of Tyre and Sidon and came to the Sea of Galilee, through the region 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.	There they brought to Him a man who was deaf and could barely speak. They begged Jesus to place His hand on Him.
33	And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;	Jesus took Him aside from the crowd, put His fingers into His ears, and touched His tongue with saliva.
34	And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.	Looking up to heaven, He sighed and said to the man, "Ephphatha," which means, "Be opened."
35	And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.	At once the man's ears were opened, his tongue was freed, and he began to speak clearly.
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;	Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he commanded them, the more they spread the news.
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.	People were completely astonished and said, "He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."