¹⁰ After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand! ^11 (A)It is not what enters the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person.”

¹² Then the disciples came and *said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were ^[a]offended when they heard this statement?” ¹³ But He answered and said, “^(B)Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Leave them alone; ^(C)they are blind guides ^[b]of blind people. And ^(D)if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.”

The Heart of Mankind

¹⁵ Peter ^[c]said to Him, “^(E)Explain the parable to us.” ^16 [d]Jesus said, “Are you also still lacking in understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is ^[e]eliminated? ¹⁸ But ^(F)the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and those things defile the person. ^19 (G)For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, acts of adultery, other immoral sexual acts, thefts, false testimonies, and ^[f]slanderous statements. ²⁰ These are the things that defile the person; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the person.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

^21 (A)Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the region of ^(B)Tyre and ^(C)Sidon. ²² And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, ^(D)Son of David; my daughter is severely ^(E)demon-possessed.” ²³ But He did not answer her with even a word. And His disciples came up and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting ^[a]at us!” ²⁴ But He answered and said, “I was sent only to ^(F)the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ But she came and ^(G)began ^[b]to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” ²⁶ Yet He answered and said, “It is not ^[c]good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷ And she said, “Yes, Lord; but please help, for even the dogs feed on the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, ^(H)your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed ^[d]at once.