Mark 7:1–13

Followers of Tradition

^1aThe Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come ^bfrom Jerusalem,

²and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with ^aimpure hands, that is, unwashed.

³(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they ¹carefully wash their hands, thus observing the ^atraditions of the elders;

⁴and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they ¹cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the ²washing of ^acups and pitchers and copper pots.)

⁵The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the ^atradition of the elders, but eat their bread with ^bimpure hands?”

⁶And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘^aThis people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far away from Me.

⁷‘^aBut in vain do they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’

⁸“Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the ^atradition of men.”

⁹He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your ^atradition.

¹⁰“For Moses said, ‘^aHonor your father and your mother’; and, ‘^bHe who speaks evil of father or mother, is to ¹be put to death’;

¹¹but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is ^aCorban (that is to say, ¹given to God),’

¹²you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother;

¹³thus invalidating the word of God by your ^atradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.”