Matthew 15:10-20

Defilement Is from Within

10 Summoning the crowd, He told them, "Listen and understand:

11 It's not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."

12 Then the disciples came up and told Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard this statement?"

13 He replied, "Every plant that My heavenly Father didn't plant will be uprooted.

14 Leave them alone! They are blind guides. ^[a] And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit."

15 Then Peter replied to Him, "Explain this parable to us."

16 "Are even you still lacking in understanding?" He^[b] asked.

17 "Don't you realize ^[c] that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated? ^[d]

18 But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man.

19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies.

20 These are the things that defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man."