What makes a person unclean

1Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,

2“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”

3Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?

4For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’

5But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’

6he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

7You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you:

8‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.

9They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

10Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “Listen and understand.

11A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”

12Then the disciples came to Him and said, “Are You aware that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

13But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots.

14Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

15Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”

16“Do you still not understand?” Jesus asked.

17“Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated?

18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.

19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

20These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.”

1Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus,

2and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed.

3Now in holding to the tradition of the elders, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat until they wash their hands ceremonially.

4And on returning from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining.

5So the Pharisees and scribes questioned Jesus: “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with defiled hands.”

6Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly 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; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’

8You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men.”

9He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the command of God to maintain your own tradition.

10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’

11But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God),

12he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother.

13Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”

14Once again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “All of you, listen to Me and understand:

15Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him; but the things that come out of a man, these are what defile him.”

17After Jesus had left the crowd and gone into the house, His disciples inquired about the parable.

18“Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him,

19because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.)

20He continued: “What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him.

21For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,

22greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness.

23All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”