Matthew 15:1–20

Then ^acame to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, ²Why do thy disciples transgress ^bthe tradition of ^cthe elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. ³But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? ⁴For God commanded, saying, ^dHonour thy father and mother: and, ^eHe that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. ⁵But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is ^fa gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; ⁶And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus ^ghave ye made the commandment of God ^gof none effect by your tradition. ⁷Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, ^8hThis people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. ⁹But in vain they do worship me, teaching for ⁱdoctrines the commandments of men.

¹⁰And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: ^11kNot that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. ¹²Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? ¹³But he answered and said, ^lEvery plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. ¹⁴Let them alone: ^mthey be blind leaders of the blind. And ⁿif the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. ¹⁵Then answered ^oPeter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. ¹⁶And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? ^17pDo not ye yet understand, that ^qwhatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? ¹⁸But ^rthose things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile ^sthe man. ¹⁹For ^tout of the heart proceed ^uevil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: ²⁰These are the things which defile a man: but to eat ^xwith unwashen hands defileth not a man.