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15:1  Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying,
15:2  “Why do · your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash · their hands when they eat bread.”
15:3  But he answered them, saying, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of · your tradition?
15:4  · For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of his father or mother must be put to death.’
15:5  But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or his mother, “Whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift to God,”
15:6  he need not honor · his father.’ So you have nullified the word of God for the sake of · your tradition.
15:7  You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, when he said:
15:8  · ‘This people honors me with their lips, · but their hearts are far from me.
15:9  And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
15:10  And he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Hear and understand:
15:11  It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”
15:12  Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard what you said?”
15:13  And he answered, saying, “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant · · will be rooted up.
15:14  Leave them be! They are blind guides. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
15:15  Then Peter answered · him, saying, “Explain this parable to us.” ·
15:16  And he said, “Are you without understanding even now?
15:17  Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes through the stomach and is expelled into the latrine?
15:18  But the things that go out of the mouth come from the heart, and these defile the person.
15:19  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
15:20  These are the things that defile a person, · but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”
15:21  And leaving there, · Jesus withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon.
15:22  And a Canaanite woman from · that region came out and began to shout, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; · my daughter is horribly demon-possessed.”
15:23  But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came · and urged him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting after us.”
15:24  But he answered, saying, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep · of the house of Israel.”
15:25  Then she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
15:26  And he answered, “It is not right to take · bread from the children and toss it to the dogs.”
15:27  “Yes, Lord,” she · said, “but even the dogs feed on the crumbs that fall from · their masters’ table.” ·
15:28  Then Jesus answered, · saying to her, “O woman, great is your · faith! What you desire will be done for you.” And her daughter was healed · from · that hour.
15:29  · After Jesus left from there, · he passed by the Sea of Galilee and went up on the mountain where he sat down.
15:30  And great crowds came to him, bringing with them those who were lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others; and they put them down at · his feet and he healed them.
15:31  So the crowd was astonished when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, · the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.
15:32  · Then Jesus called · his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint from exhaustion on the way.”
15:33  And the disciples said to him, · “Where in such a desolate place could we find enough bread to feed so great a crowd?”
15:34  And Jesus said to them, · “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”
15:35  And instructing the crowd to sit down on the ground,
15:36  he took the seven loaves and the fish: and when he had given thanks, he broke them and began distributing them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds.
15:37  And they all ate and were filled; and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full.
15:38  Not counting women and children, there · were four thousand men who had eaten.
15:39  And when he had sent the crowds away, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.