Mark 7:1-13

The Things That Defile

7¹ And there came together to him the Pharisees and certain of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, ² And had seen that some of his disciples took their bread with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. ³ Now the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not take food without washing their hands with care, keeping the old rule which has been handed down to them: ⁴ And when they come from the market-place, they take no food till their hands are washed; and a number of other orders there are, which have been handed down to them to keep—washings of cups and pots and brass vessels. ⁵ And the Pharisees and the scribes put the question to him, Why do your disciples not keep the rules of the fathers, but take their bread with unwashed hands? ⁶ And he said, Well did Isaiah say of you, you false ones: These people give me honour with their lips, but their heart is far from me. ⁷ But their worship is to no purpose, while they give as their teaching the rules of men. ⁸ For, turning away from the law of God, you keep the rules of men. ⁹ And he said to them, Truly you put on one side the law of God, so that you may keep the rules which have been handed down to you. ¹⁰ For Moses said, Give honour to your father and mother, and, He who says evil of father or mother, let him have the punishment of death: ¹¹ But you say, If a man says to his father or his mother, That by which you might have had profit from me is Corban, that is to say, Given to God, ¹² You no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother; ¹³ Making the word of God of no effect by your rule, which you have given: and a number of other such things you do.