15:1 Then Pharisees and scribes come to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying,

15:2 Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don`t wash their hands when they eat bread."

15:3 He answered them, "Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?

15:4 For God commanded, `Honor your father and your mother,` and, `He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.`

15:5 But you say, `Whoever will tell his father or his mother, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,"

15:6 he will not honor his father or mother.` You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition.

15:7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

15:8 `These people draw near to me with their mouth, And honor me with their lips; But their heart is far from me.

15:9 But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as doctrine rules made by men.`"

15:10 He called the multitude to himself, and said to them, "Hear, and understand.

15:11 That which enters into the mouth doesn`t defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

15:12 Then the disciples came, and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?"

15:13 But he answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father didn`t plant will be uprooted.

15:14 Let them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit."

15:15 Peter answered him, "Explain the parable to us."

15:16 So Jesus said, "Do you also still not understand?

15:17 Don`t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body?

15:18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart, and they defile the man.

15:19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.

15:20 These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn`t defile the man."

15:21 Jesus went out from there, and withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon.

15:22 Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with a demon."

15:23 But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away; for she cries after us."

15:24 But he answered, "I wasn`t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

15:25 But she came and worshipped him, saying, "Lord, help me."

15:26 But he answered, "It is not appropriate to take the children`s bread and throw it to the dogs."

15:27 But she said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters` table."

15:28 Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

15:29 Jesus departed there, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there.

15:30 There came to him great multitudes, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them,

15:31 so that the multitude wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the injured whole, lame walking, and the blind seeing -- and they glorified the God of Israel.

15:32 Jesus called his disciples to him, and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don`t want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way."

15:33 The disciples said to him, "Where should we get so many loaves in a desert place as to fill so great a multitude?"

15:34 Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

15:35 He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;

15:36 and 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.

15:37 They all ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.

15:38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.