Matthew 15:1-14

1 ¹Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus ²from Jerusalem and said,

2 "Why * do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they ³do not wash their hands when they eat bread."

3 And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?

4 "For God said, '⁴HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, '⁵HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.'

5 "But you say, 'Whoever * says to his father or mother, "Whatever * I have that would help you has been given to God,"

6 he is not to honor his father or his mother .' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

7 "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:

8 '⁶THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.

9 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS ⁷DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.' "

10 After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, "Hear and understand.

11 "⁸It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

12 Then the disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?"

13 But He answered and said, "⁹Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.

14 "Let them alone; ¹⁰they are blind guides of the blind. And ¹¹if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

Cross References 11