Matthew 15:11-21

11 What goes into a person's mouth doesn't make him unclean. It's what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean."
12 Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you realize that when the Pharisees heard your statement they were offended?"
13 He answered, "Any plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.
14 Leave them alone! They are blind leaders. When one blind person leads another, both will fall into the same pit."
15 Peter said to him, "Explain this illustration to us."
16 Jesus said, "Don't you understand yet?
17 Don't you know that whatever goes into the mouth goes into the stomach and then into a toilet?
18 But whatever goes out of the mouth comes from within, and that's what makes a person unclean.
19 Evil thoughts, murder, adultery, [other] sexual sins, stealing, lying, and cursing come from within.
20 These are the things that make a person unclean. But eating without washing one's hands doesn't make a person unclean."
21 Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.