Matthew 15

Then Pharisees and scribes came to ‘Isa from Jerusalem, saying, 2Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.

3He answered them, Why do you also disobey the commandment of Allah because of your tradition? 4For Allah commanded, ‘Honour your father and your mother,'[1] and, ‘Anyone who speaks evil of his father or mother, let him be put to death.'[2] 5But you say, ‘Whoever may tell his father or his mother, Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to Allah, 6he shall not honour his father or mother.’ You have made the commandment of Allah void because of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Well did Shaya prophesy of you, saying,

8‘These people draw near to me with their mouths,

And honour me with their lips;

But their heart is far from me.

9In vain do they worship me;

Their teachings are just rules made by men.‘”[3]

10He summoned the multitude, and said to them, Hear, and understand. 11That which enters into the mouth does not defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.

12Then the disciples came, and said to him, Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?

13But he answered, Every plant which my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted. 14Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.

15Peter answered him, Explain the parable to us.

16So ‘Isa said, Do you also still not understand? 17Don’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body? 18But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man. 19For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies. 20These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.

21‘Isa went out from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, Have mercy on me, Lord, Ibn Dawud! My daughter is severely demonized!

23But he answered her not a word.

His disciples came and begged him, saying, Send her away; for she cries after us.

24But he answered, I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

25But she came and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me.

26But he answered, It is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.

27But she said, Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.

28Then ‘Isa answered her, Woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire. And her daughter was healed from that hour.

29‘Isa departed there, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there. 30Great multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them, 31so that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, injured whole, lame walking, and blind seeing–and they glorified the God of Israel.

32‘Isa summoned his disciples and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way.

33The disciples said to him, Where should we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?

34‘Isa said to them, How many loaves do you have?

They said, Seven, and a few small fish.

35He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground; 36and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. 37They all ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over. 38Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39Then he sent away the multitudes, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magdala.

 

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[1] 15:4 Taurat, Exodus 20:12.

[2] 15:4 Taurat, Exodus 21:17.

[3] 15:8-9 Quoting the Taurat, Shaya 29:13.