15:1  Then Pharisees and scribes came 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 may tell his father or his mother, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,"

15:6  he shall 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  And in vain do they worship me, Teaching as doctrine rules made by men.'"

15:10  He summoned the multitude, 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  Leave 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 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 region 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 severely demonized!"

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 worshiped 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  Great multitudes came to him, 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, injured whole, lame walking, and blind seeing--and they glorified the God of Israel.

15:32  Jesus summoned his disciples 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 deserted place as to satisfy 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.

15:39  Then he sent away the multitudes, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magdala.