Matthew 15:1–20

Then there come to Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes, saying, ²Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. ³And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? ⁴For God said, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death. ⁵But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given to God; ⁶he shall not honor his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition. ⁷Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

⁸This people honoreth me with their lips;

But their heart is far from me.

⁹But in vain do they worship me,

Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.

¹⁰And he called to him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: ¹¹Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man. ¹²Then came the disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying? ¹³But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up. ¹⁴Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit. ¹⁵And Peter answered and said unto him, Declare unto us the parable. ¹⁶And he said, Are ye also even yet without understanding? ¹⁷Perceive ye not, that whatsoever goeth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? ¹⁸But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man. ¹⁹For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings: ²⁰these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man.