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7:1 The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, 7:2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. 7:3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; 7:4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) 7:5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?" 7:6 And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. 7:7 'But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' 7:8 "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." 7:9 He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. 7:10 "For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, is to be put to death'; 7:11 but you say, 'If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),' 7:12 you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; 7:13 thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that." 7:14 After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 7:15 there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. 7:16 ["If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."] 7:17 When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. 7:18 And He said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 7:19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 7:20 And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 7:21 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 7:22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 7:23 "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man." 7:24 Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. 7:25 But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. 7:26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 7:27 And He was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 7:28 But she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs." 7:29 And He said to her, "Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter." 7:30 And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left. 7:31 Again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis. 7:32 They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him. 7:33 Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; 7:34 and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!" 7:35 And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly. 7:36 And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. 7:37 They were utterly astonished, saying, "He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."