Mark 7:14–23

The Heart of Man

¹⁴And after He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:

¹⁵there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.

¹⁶¹[“And if anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”]

¹⁷And when He had left the crowd and entered ^athe house, ^bHis disciples were asking Him about the parable.

¹⁸And He ^*said to them, “Are you lacking understanding in this way as well? Do you not ^aperceive that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him,

¹⁹because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and goes to the sewer?” (Thus He declared ^aall foods ^bclean.)

²⁰And He was saying, “^aThat which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man.

²¹“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries,

²²coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, ^1aenvy, slander, ²pride, and foolishness.

²³“All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”