Mark 7:1-13

The Things That Defile

7¹ Then the Pharisees, and some of the scribes gathered together to him, having come from Jerusalem. ² Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands, they found fault. ³ (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, don’t eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders. ⁴ They don’t eat when they come from the marketplace, unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things, which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.) ⁵ The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why don’t your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?” ⁶ He answered them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me.
⁷ But in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ [1] ⁸ “For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.” ⁹ He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ [2] and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’ [3] ¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban [4], that is to say, given to God;”’ ¹² then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³ making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”