Mark 7:1–15

That Which Defiles

7:1–23pp—Mt 15:1–20

7The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus ²and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled,^g that is, unwashed. ³(The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.^{h 4}When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.^a)ⁱ

⁵So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders^j instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”

⁶He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“ ‘These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

⁷They worship me in vain;

their teachings are merely human rules.’^bk

⁸You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”^l

⁹And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe^c your own traditions!^{m 10}For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’^dn and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’^{eo 11}But you say^p that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)—¹²then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. ¹³Thus you nullify the word of God^q by your tradition^r that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

¹⁴Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. ¹⁵Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”