THE BOOK OF MATTHEW

 

Matthew Chapter 15

1 ¶ Then some scribes and Pharisees, who were from Jerusalem, came to Jesus saying,

2 Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they are not washing their hands when they eat bread.

3 And in response he said to them, Why are you transgressing the commandment of God by your tradition?

4 For God said, Honor your father and mother: and, let anyone who curses his father or mother, be put to death.

5 But you say, Whoever will say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by which you might profit through me;

6 Doesn’t have to honor his father or his mother. Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.

7 You hypocrites, Isaiah was right when he prophesied of you, saying,

8 This people draws near to me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

9 And they worship me in vain, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

10 ¶ And having called the multitude, he said to them, Listen, and understand:

11 It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man; but that which comes out of the mouth, that defiles a man.

12 Then his disciples came to him, and asked, Do you know the Pharisees were offended, when they heard you say that?

13 But Jesus answering said, Every plant, that my heavenly Father has not planted, will be rooted up.

14 Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch.

15 Then Peter said to him, Explain this parable to us.

16 And Jesus said, Are you also still without understanding?

17 Do you not understand, that whatever goes into the mouth enters the belly, and is expelled into the privy?

18 But those things that come out of the mouth come out of the heart; and they defile a man.

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murder, adultery, immorality, theft, false witness, blasphemy:

20 These are the things that defile a man: but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man.

21 ¶ Then Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon.

22 And, behold, a Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, and cried out, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and implored him, saying, Send her away; for she cries after us.

24 And he answered and said, I have only been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

25 Then she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

26 But he answered saying, It is not fitting to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.

27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.

28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, you have great faith: let it be done for you as you wish. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

29 ¶ And Jesus departed from there, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.

30 And great multitudes came to him, having with them those who were lame, blind, mute, crippled, and many others, and laid them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:

31 So that the multitude wondered, when they saw the mute speak, the crippled made whole, the lame walk, and the blind see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him, and said, I have compassion for these people, because they have already been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint along the way.

33 And his disciples said to him, Where could we get enough bread in this remote place, to feed such a large crowd?

34 And Jesus asked them, How many loaves do you have? And they said, Seven, and a few little fish.

35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

36 And he took the seven loaves and the fish, and gave thanks, and broke them, and gave them to his disciples, and the disciples gave them to the multitude.

37 And they all ate, and were filled: and they took up the broken pieces that were left seven baskets full.

38 And there were four thousand men who ate, besides women and children.

39 And having sent the crowd away, he got in a boat, and went to the vicinity of Magadan.