傳統與誡命
1有法利賽人和一些律法教師從耶路撒冷來見耶穌。 2他們看到祂的門徒有些吃飯前沒有照禮儀洗手。 3因為法利賽人和所有的猶太人都拘守古人的傳統，總是先照禮儀洗手之後才吃飯； 4從市場回來也要先潔淨自己，然後才吃飯。他們還拘守許多其他規矩，如洗杯、罐、銅器等。
5他們質問耶穌：「為什麼你的門徒違背祖先的傳統，竟用不潔淨的手吃飯呢？」
6耶穌回答說：「以賽亞先知針對你們這些偽君子所說的預言一點不錯，正如聖經上說，
『這些人嘴上尊崇我，
心卻遠離我。
7他們的教導無非是人的規條，
他們敬拜我也是枉然。』
8你們只知拘守人的傳統，卻無視上帝的誡命。」 9耶穌又對他們說：「你們為了拘守自己的傳統，竟巧妙地廢除了上帝的誡命。 10摩西說，『要孝敬父母』，又說，『咒罵父母的，必被處死。』 11你們卻認為人若對父母說，『我把供養你們的錢財已經全部奉獻給上帝了』， 12他就可以不奉養父母。 13你們就是這樣為了拘守傳統而廢除上帝的道，類似的情形還有很多。」
內心的污穢
14耶穌又召集眾人，教導他們說：「我的話，你們要聽明白， 15從外面進去的不會使人污穢，只有從人裡面發出來的才會使人污穢。 16有耳可聽的，都應當聽！」
17耶穌離開眾人，進了屋子，門徒問祂這比喻的意思。 18耶穌說：「你們也不明白嗎？你們不知道嗎？從外面進去的，不會使人污穢， 19因為不能進入他的心，只能進他的腸胃，最後會排出來，也就是說所有的食物都是潔淨的。 20從人裡面發出來的才使人污穢， 21因為從裡面，就是從人的心裡能夠生出惡念、苟合、偷盜、謀殺、 22通姦、貪婪、邪惡、詭詐、放蕩、嫉妒、毀謗、驕傲、狂妄。 23這一切惡事都是從裡面生出來的，能使人污穢。」
外族婦人的信心
24耶穌從那裡啟程去泰爾和西頓地區。祂進了一戶人家，原本不想讓人知道，卻無法避開人們的注意。 25-26當時有一個婦人的小女兒被污鬼附身，她聽見耶穌的事，就來俯伏在祂腳前，懇求祂趕出她女兒身上的鬼。這婦人是希臘人，來自敘利亞的腓尼基。
27耶穌對她說：「要先讓兒女們吃飽，因為把兒女的食物丟給狗吃不合適。」
28婦人說：「主啊，你說的對，但桌子下的狗也吃孩子們掉下來的碎渣呀！」
29耶穌說：「因為你這句話，你回去吧，鬼已經離開你的女兒了。」
30她回到家裡，見女兒躺在床上，鬼已經離開了。
醫治聾啞的人
31耶穌離開泰爾地區，經過西頓，來到低加坡里地區的加利利湖。 32有人帶著一個又聾又啞的人來見耶穌，懇求祂把手按在這個人身上。 33耶穌就帶他離開眾人走到一邊，用指頭伸進他的耳朵，又吐唾沫抹他的舌頭， 34望天長歎，對他說：「以法大！」意思是「開了吧！」 35他的耳朵立刻開了，舌頭靈活了，說話也清楚了。 36耶穌吩咐他們不要將這事告訴人。可是耶穌越是這樣吩咐，他們越是極力宣揚， 37聽見的人都十分驚奇，說：「祂做的事好極了，甚至叫聾子聽見，啞巴說話！」
That which defiles
1The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus 2and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3(The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4When they come from the market-place they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.7:4 Some early manuscripts pitchers, kettles and dining couches)
5So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, ‘Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?’
6He replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
‘ “These people honour me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.”7:7 Isaiah 29:13
8You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.’
9And he continued, ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe7:9 Some manuscripts set up your own traditions! 10For Moses said, “Honour your father and mother,”7:10 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16 and, “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.”7:10 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9 11But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God) – 12then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.’
14Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.’ 167:16 Some manuscripts include here the words of 4:23.
17After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18‘Are you so dull?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.’ (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
20He went on: ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come – sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23All these evils come from inside and defile a person.’
Jesus honours a Syro-Phoenician woman’s faith
24Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.7:24 Many early manuscripts Tyre and Sidon He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
27‘First let the children eat all they want,’ he told her, ‘for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’
28‘Lord,’ she replied, ‘even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’
29Then he told her, ‘For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.’
30She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Jesus heals a deaf and mute man
31Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.7:31 That is, the Ten Cities 32There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.
33After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spat and touched the man’s tongue. 34He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (which means ‘Be opened!’). 35At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosed and he began to speak plainly.
36Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37People were overwhelmed with amazement. ‘He has done everything well,’ they said. ‘He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.’
