Matthew 15

1. Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, who were from Jerusalem, saying,

2. “Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread.”

3. But He answered and said unto them, “Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

4. For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor thy father and mother,’ and, ‘He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.’

5. But ye say that whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, ‘by whatsoever thou might have profited by me, it is a gift,’

6. and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.

7. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

8. ‘This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

9. But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’”

10. And He called the multitude and said unto them, “Hear and understand:

11. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”

12. Then came His disciples and said unto Him, “Knowest Thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying?”

13. But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.

14. Let them alone; they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”

15. Then answered Peter and said unto Him, “Explain to us this parable.”

16. And Jesus said, “Are ye also yet without understanding?

17. Do ye not yet understand that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the drain?

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

19. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

20. these are the things which defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands defileth not a man.”

21. Then Jesus went thence and departed into the region of Tyre and Sidon.

22. And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same region and cried unto Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David! My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.”

23. But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, “Send her away, for she crieth after us.”

24. But He answered and said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25. Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord help me.”

26. But He answered and said, “It is not meet to take children’s bread and cast it to dogs.”

27. And she said, “Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, “O woman, great is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt.” And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

29. And Jesus departed from thence and came nigh unto the Sea of Galilee, and went up onto a mountain and sat down there.

30. And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those who were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them,

31. insomuch that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak, and the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see. And they glorified the God of Israel.

32. Then Jesus called His disciples unto Him and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with Me now three days and have had nothing to eat; and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint on the way.”

33. And His disciples said unto Him, “From whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness as to fill so great a multitude?”

34. And Jesus said unto them, “How many loaves have ye?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fishes.”

35. And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

36. And He took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and broke them and gave to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

37. And they all ate and were filled. And they took up of the broken pieces that were left, seven baskets full.

38. And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

39. And He sent away the multitude, and took the boat and went into the coasts of Magdala.