1ONCE the Pharisees gathered about him with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2and they saw that some of his disciples were eating bread with "common," that is, unwashed, hands. 3For the Pharisees and all the Jews never eat without first washing their hands up to the wrist, holding faithfully to the tradition of their forefathers, 4and when they return from market they do not eat until they have washed. There are also many other traditions which they have been taught to hold tenaciously, such as washing cups and pitchers and copper vessels. 5The Pharisees and scribes asked him, "Why do not your disciples live according to the tradition of our fore-fathers? Why do they eat their bread with common hands?" 6He replied, "Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites when he wrote: 'This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7in vain they worship me, while they teach what are merely commandments of men.' 8Neglecting the commands of God, you hold firmly to the traditions of men." 9He said further to them, "How thoroughly you set aside the command of God so that you may keep your tradition! 10For Moses said, 'Honor thy father and thy mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.' 11But you say, 'If a man says to his father or his mother, Whatever benefit you enjoy from me is now Korban, that is, a gift to God,' \'97 12you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13thus nullifying the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and many similar things you do." 14Then, calling the crowd to him again, he said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand. 15There is nothing from outside a man that can go into him and defile him, but the things that come out of the man are the things that defile the man." 16TEXT OMITTED 17After he had gone into the house, his disciples asked about his figurative language. 18He said, "Are you too so lacking in insight? Do you not know that everything from outside that goes into a man is unable to defile him, 19for it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach and passes out into the sewer?" Thus he pronounced all foods clean. 20"But," he said, "what comes out of a man is what defiles him; 21for from within, out of the hearts of men, come evil thoughts, unchastities, thefts, murders, 22adulteries, lusts, wickednesses, deceit, sensuality, an evil eye, slander, arrogance, recklessness \'97 23all these had things come out from within, and they defile the man." 24Leaving that place, Jesus went into the borders of Tyre. He entered a house and did not wish any one to know it, but he could not escape notice. 25At once a woman whose daughter was afflicted by an impure spirit heard about him, and she came and fell at his feet. 26The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27But he said, "Let the children be well fed first. For it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 28She answered, "Yes, Sir, even the dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs." 29Then he said to her, "For this answer, go. The demon has gone out of your daughter." 30She returned to her house and found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone. 31Again leaving the region of Tyre, he came through Sidon to the lake of Galilee into the midst of the region of Decapolis. 32They brought to him a deaf man who stammered, and begged him to lay his hand on him. 33He took him aside from the crowd, put his fingers into his ears, and touched his tongue with spit. 34Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, "Ephphatha" that is, Be opened, 35and his ears were opened, and immediately his tongue was freed and he talked plainly. 36Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell any one. But the more he forbade them the more widely they spread it, 37for they were astonished beyond all bounds and said, "He has done everything well. He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak."