Mark 7

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round him,	1 Now when the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him,
2 and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washingthem.	2 they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, keep the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing theirarms as far as the elbow;	3 (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders.
4 and on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. There arealso many other observances which have been handed down to them to keep, concerning the washing of cupsand pots and bronze dishes.	4 And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles (and beds).)
5 So the Pharisees and scribes asked him, 'Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the eldersbut eat their food with unclean hands?'	5 So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, "Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"
6 He answered, 'How rightly Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites in the passage of scripture: Thispeople honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me.	6 He responded, "Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me;
7 Their reverence of me is worthless; the lessons they teach are nothing but human commandments.	7 In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.'
8 You put aside the commandment of God to observe human traditions.'	8 You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition."
9 And he said to them, 'How ingeniously you get round the commandment of God in order to preserveyour own tradition!	9 He went on to say, "How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition!
10 For Moses said: Honour your father and your mother, and, Anyone who curses father or mother mustbe put to death.	10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'Whoever curses father or mother shall die.'
11 But you say, "If a man says to his father or mother: Anything I have that I might have used to help youis Korban (that is, dedicated to God),"	11 Yet you say, 'If a person says to father or mother, "Any support you might have had from me is qorban"' (meaning, dedicated to God),
12 then he is forbidden from that moment to do anything for his father or mother.	12 you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
13 In this way you make God's word ineffective for the sake of your tradition which you have handeddown. And you do many other things like this.'	13 You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things."
14 He called the people to him again and said, 'Listen to me, al of you, and understand.	14 He summoned the crowd again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand.
15 Nothing that goes into someone from outside can make that person unclean; it is the things that comeout of someone that make that person unclean.	15 Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile."
16 Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'	16 )
17 When he had gone into the house, away from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about theparable.	17 When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable.
18 He said to them, 'Even you -- don't you understand? Can't you see that nothing that goes intosomeone from outside can make that person unclean,	18 He said to them, "Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
19 because it goes not into the heart but into the stomach and passes into the sewer?' (Thus hepronounced al foods clean.)	19 since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.)
20 And he went on, 'It is what comes out of someone that makes that person unclean.	20 "But what comes out of a person, that is what defiles.
21 For it is from within, from the heart, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder,	21 From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
22 adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, fol y.	22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
23 Al these evil things come from within and make a person unclean.'	23 All these evils come from within and they defile."
24 He left that place and set out for the territory of Tyre. There he went into a house and did not wantanyone to know he was there; but he could not pass unrecognised.	24 From that place he went off to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice.
25 At once a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him and came and fel at hisfeet.	25 Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet.
26 Now this woman was a gentile, by birth a Syro-Phoenician, and she begged him to drive the devil outof her daughter.	26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
27 And he said to her, 'The children should be fed first, because it is not fair to take the children's foodand throw it to little dogs.'	27 He said to her, "Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs."
28 But she spoke up, 'Ah yes, sir,' she replied, 'but little dogs under the table eat the scraps from thechildren.'	28 She replied and said to him, "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps."
29 And he said to her, 'For saying this you may go home happy; the devil has gone out of your daughter.'	29 Then he said to her, "For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter."
30 So she went off home and found the child lying on the bed and the devil gone.	30 When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
31 Returning from the territory of Tyre, he went by way of Sidon towards the Lake of Galilee, right throughthe Decapolis territory.	31 Again he left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis.
32 And they brought him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to lay hishand on him.	32 And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him.
33 He took him aside to be by themselves, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man's ears andtouched his tongue with spittle.	33 He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue;
34 Then looking up to heaven he sighed; and he said to him, 'Ephphatha,' that is, 'Be opened.'	34 then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, "Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!")
35 And his ears were opened, and at once the impediment of his tongue was loosened and he spokeclearly.	35 And (immediately) the man's ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.
36 And Jesus ordered them to tel no one about it, but the more he insisted, the more widely theyproclaimed it.	36 He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it.
37 Their admiration was unbounded, and they said, 'Everything he does is good, he makes the deaf hearand the dumb speak.'	37 They were exceedingly astonished and they said, "He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and (the) mute speak."