Mark 7:1–13

THE TRADITIONS OF THE ELDERS

7Theⁿ Pharisees^o and some of the scribes^p who had come from Jerusalem^q gathered around him. ²They observed that some of his disciples were eating bread with unclean^r—that is, unwashed—hands. ³(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, keeping the tradition of the elders. ⁴When they come from the marketplace,^s they do not eat unless they have washed.^t And there are many other customs they have received and keep, like the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and dining couches.^cu) ⁵So the Pharisees^v and the scribes^w asked him, “Why don’t your disciples live^D according to the tradition of the elders,^x instead of eating bread with ceremonially unclean^E hands?”

⁶He answered them, “Isaiah^y prophesied^z correctly about you hypocrites,^aa as it is written:^ab

This people honors^ac me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me.

⁷They worship me in vain,

teaching^ad as doctrines^ae human commands.^Faf

⁸Abandoning the command of God, you hold on to human tradition.”^{G 9}He also said to them, “You have a fine way of invalidating God’s command in order to set up^H your tradition! ¹⁰For Moses^ag said: Honor your father and your mother;^Iah and Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.^{Jai 11}But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or mother: Whatever benefit^aj you might have received from me is corban’ ” (that is, an offering^ak devoted to God), ¹²“you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. ¹³You nullify the word of God^al by your tradition that you have handed^am down. And you do many other similar things.”