Chapter XIII

CHRIST'S DOCTRINE OF JEWISH TRADITIONS, ETC.

1 [15:1]THEN came the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem, saying, [15:2]Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders, for they wash not their hands when they eat bread? [15:3]And he answered and said to them, Why do you transgress the command of God by your tradition? [15:4]For God said, Honor your father and mother; and he that reviles father or mother, let him surely die. [15:5]But you say, Whoever says to his father or mother what you might be profited with by me is a gift, [15:6]then he shall not honor his father or his mother; and you have made the law of God of no effect by your tradition. [15:7] Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophecy of you, saying; [15:8]This people honors me with the lips, but their heart is far from me. [15:9]But in vain do they worship me, teaching teachings and commandments of men.

2 [15:10]And having called the multitude, he said, Hear and understand. [15:11] Not that which enters into the mouth, defiles the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth that defiles the man. [15:12]Then the disciples came to him, and said to him, Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this word? [15:13]And he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up. [15:14]Let them go; they are blind guides of the blind. But if the blind lead the blind, they will both fall into the pit. [15:15]And Peter answered and said to him, Explain the parable to us. [15:16]And he said, Are you so entirely without understanding? [15:17]Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is cast out on the earth? [15:18]But the things which proceed from the mouth come from the heart, and these defile the man. [15:19]For from the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies: [15:20]these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.

3 [15:21]And Jesus going out thence departed to the regions of Tyre and Sidon. [15:22]And behold, a woman of Canaan from those regions came out and cried, saying, Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is badly affected with a demon. [15:23]But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and asked him, saying, Dismiss her, for she cries after us. [15:24]But he answered and said, I am not sent, except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. [15:25]And she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me! [15:26]But he answered and said, It is not right to take the children's bread and cast to the dogs. [15:27]But she said, Yes, Lord; for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the table of their masters. [15:28]Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is your faith! Be it to you as you wish; and her daughter was cured from that hour.

4 [15:29]And returning thence Jesus came to the lake of Galilee, and going up on the mountain sat down there. [15:30]And great multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the dumb, the crippled, and many others; and they cast them at Jesus' feet, and he cured them; [15:31]so that the multitude wondered, seeing the dumb talk, the crippled sound, the lame walk, and the blind see; and they glorified the God of Israel.

5 [15:32]And Jesus calling his disciples, said, I pity the multitude, for it is now three days that they have continued with me, and they have nothing to eat; I will not dismiss them fasting lest they faint by the way. [15:33]But his disciples said to him, Whence shall we obtain so much bread in the wilderness as to fill so great a multitude? [15:34]And Jesus said to them, How many loaves have you? And they said, Seven, and a few small fishes. [15:35]And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground, [15:36]and taking the seven loaves and the fishes, and giving thanks, he broke, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. [15:37]And they all eat and were filled; and they took up the fragments that remained, seven store-baskets full. [15:38]And those who eat were four thousand men, besides women and children. [15:39]And dismissing the multitude he went into the ship, and came into the bounds of Magadan.