Mark 7:1-23

The Things That Defile

7¹ The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem , ² and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands , that is, unwashed . ³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless e they carefully wash their hands , thus observing the traditions of the elders ; ⁴ and when they come from the market place , they do not eat unless e they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe , such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots .) ⁵ The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, "Why e do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders , but eat their bread with impure hands ?" ⁶ And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites , as it is written : ' THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS , BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY e FROM ME. ⁷ ' BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN .' ⁸ "Neglecting the commandment of God , you hold to the tradition of men ." ⁹ He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition . ¹⁰ "For Moses said , ' HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER '; and, ' HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER , IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH '; ¹¹ but you say , 'If a man says to his father or his mother , whatever e I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),' ¹² you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother ; ¹³ thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down ; and you do many things such as that." ¹⁴ After He called the crowd to Him again , He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand : ¹⁵ there 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 . ¹⁶ ["If anyone has ears to hear , let him hear ."] ¹⁷ When he had left the crowd and entered the house , His disciples questioned Him about the parable . ¹⁸ And He said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also ? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot e defile him, ¹⁹ because it does not go into his heart , but into his stomach , and is eliminated e e ?" (Thus He declared all foods clean .) ²⁰ And He was saying , " That 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 , fornications , thefts , murders , adulteries , ²² d deeds of coveting and wickedness , as well as deceit , sensuality , envy e , slander , pride and foolishness . ²³ "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man ."