Matthew 15:1-20
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
The Tradition of the Elders
15 Then(A) Jesus was approached by Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem, who asked,(B) 2 ‘Why do your disciples(C) break the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat.’[a](D)
3 He answered them, ‘Why do you break God’s commandment because of your tradition? 4 For God said:[b] Honour your father and your mother;[c](E) and, Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.[d](F) 5 But you say, “Whoever tells his father or mother, ‘Whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift committed to the temple,’ 6 he does not have to honour his father.”[e] In this way, you have nullified the word of God[f] because of your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said:
8 This people[g] honours me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me.
9 They worship me in vain,
eaching as doctrines human commands.’(G)[h]
Defilement Is from Within
10 Summoning the crowd, he told them, ‘Listen and understand: 11 It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles(H) a person, but what comes out of the mouth – this defiles a person.’(I)
12 Then the disciples came up and told him, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees took offence when they heard what you said? ’
13 He replied, ‘Every plant that my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted.(J) 14 Leave them alone! They are blind guides.[i] And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.’(K)
15 Then Peter said, ‘Explain this parable to us.’(L)
16 ‘Do you still lack understanding? ’ he[j] asked. 17 ‘Don’t you realise[k] that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated?[l] 18 But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person.(M) 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies,(N) slander.(O) 20 These are the things that defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.’(P)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 15:2 Lit eat bread = eat a meal
- 15:4 Other mss read commanded, saying
- 15:4 Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16
- 15:4 Ex 21:17; Lv 20:9
- 15:6 Other mss read then he does not have to honour his father or mother
- 15:6 Other mss read commandment
- 15:8 Other mss add draw near to me with their mouths, and
- 15:8–9 Is 29:13 LXX
- 15:14 Other mss add for the blind
- 15:16 Other mss read Jesus
- 15:17 Other mss add yet
- 15:17 Lit and goes out into the toilet
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