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

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

3 ^15:21And Jesus going out thence departed to the regions of Tyre and Sidon. ^15:22And 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. ^15:23But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and asked him, saying, Dismiss her, for she cries after us. ^15:24But he answered and said, I am not sent, except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ^15:25And she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me! ^15:26But he answered and said, It is not right to take the children's bread and cast to the dogs. ^15:27But she said, Yes, Lord; for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the table of their masters. ^15:28Then 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 ^15:29And returning thence Jesus came to the lake of Galilee, and going up on the mountain sat down there. ^15:30And 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; ^15:31so 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 ^15:32And 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. ^15:33But his disciples said to him, Whence shall we obtain so much bread in the wilderness as to fill so great a multitude? ^15:34And Jesus said to them, How many loaves have you? And they said, Seven, and a few small fishes. ^15:35And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground, ^15:36and taking the seven loaves and the fishes, and giving thanks, he broke, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. ^15:37And they all eat and were filled; and they took up the fragments that remained, seven store-baskets full. ^15:38And those who eat were four thousand men, besides women and children. ^15:39And dismissing the multitude he went into the ship, and came into the bounds of Magadan.