The Tradition of the Elders
(Mark 7:1–13)

1Then there come to Jesus, from Jerusalem, Pharisees and scribes, saying, 2"Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands, when they eat bread!" 3And He, answering, said to them, "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4For God said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'He that speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die,' 5But ye say, 'Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That by which you might be profited by me is an offering,' 6shall in no wise honor his father; and ye made void the word of God because of your tradition. 7Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

8'This people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

9But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

What Defiles a Man
(Mark 7:14–23)

10And, having called the multitude near, He said to them, "Hear, and understand: 11Not that which enters into the mouth defiles the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth?this defiles the man."

12Then, His disciples, coming near, say to Him, "Knowest Thou that the Pharisees, having heard the saying, were made to stumble?" 13But He, answering, said, "Every plant which My Heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up. 14Let them alone; they are blind guides; and if a blind man be guiding a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

15And Peter, answering, said to Him, "Explain to us the parable." 16And He said, "Are ye also even yet without understanding?

17Do ye not perceive that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and is cast forth into the drain? 18But the things that proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and these defile the man. 19For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false-witnessings, blasphemies: 20these are the things which defile the man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man."

The Faith of the Canaanite Woman
(Mark 7:24–30)

21And, going forth thence, Jesus withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon. 22And, behold, a Canaanitish woman, having come forth out of those borders, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon!" 23But He answered her not a word. And His disciples, coming near, were beseeching Him, saying, "Send her away; for she is crying after us!" 24But He, answering, said, "I was not sent, except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25But she, coming, was worshiping Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" 26And He, answering, said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and cast it to the little dogs." 27But she said, "Yes, Lord; for even the little dogs eat of the crumbs falling from the master's table." 28Then Jesus, answering, said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! be it done to you as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

The Feeding of the Four Thousand
(Mark 8:1–10)

29And, departing thence, Jesus came near to the sea of Galilee; and, going up into the mountain, He was sitting there. 30And there came to Him great multitudes, having with them the lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others; and they cast them at His feet, and He healed them; 31so that the multitudes wondered, seeing the dumb speaking, maimed whole, and lame walking, and blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.

32And Jesus, having called His disciples near, said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with Me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and I am not willing to send them away fasting, lest haply they faint in the way." 33And His disciples say to Him, "Whence should we, in a wilderness, have so many loaves as to satisfy so great a multitude?" 34And Jesus saith to them, "How many loaves have ye?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fishes." 35And, having commanded the multitude to recline on the ground, 36He took the seven loaves and the fishes; giving thanks, He broke, and was giving to the disciples; and the disciples to the multitudes. 37And they all ate, and were satisfied; and they took up what was over of the pieces seven baskets full; 38and those eating were four thousand men, besides women and children.

39And, dismissing the multitudes, He went up into the boat, and came into the borders of Magadan.