7:1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus
7:2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.
7:3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.
7:4 When they come from the market-place they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)
7:5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, ‘Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?’
7:6 He replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘“These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
7:7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”
7:8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.’
7:9 And he continued, ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!
7:10 For Moses said, “Honour your father and mother,” and, “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.”
7:11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God) –
7:12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother.
7:13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.’
7:14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen to me, everyone, and understand this.
7:15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.’
7:23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.’
7:24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret.
7:25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet.
7:26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
7:27 ‘First let the children eat all they want,’ he told her, ‘for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’
7:28 ‘Lord,’ she replied, ‘even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’
7:29 Then he told her, ‘For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.’
7:30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
7:31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.
7:32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.
7:33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spat and touched the man’s tongue.
7:34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (which means ‘Be opened!’ ).
7:35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosed and he began to speak plainly.
7:36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it.
7:37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. ‘He has done everything well,’ they said. ‘He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.’
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