Mark 6:45-7:13

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Walking on the Water

⁴⁵ Immediately^(A) He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, to Bethsaida,^(B) while He dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ After He said good-bye to them, He went away to the mountain^(C) to pray.^{(D) 47} When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. ⁴⁸ He saw them being battered^(E) as they rowed,^[a] because the wind was against them. Around three in the morning^[b] He came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. ⁴⁹ When they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost^(F) and cried out; ⁵⁰ for they all saw Him and were terrified.^(G) Immediately He spoke with them and said, “Have courage!^(H) It is I.^(I) Don’t be afraid.”^{(J) 51} Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded,^{[c] 52} because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.^(K)

Miraculous Healings

⁵³ When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret^(L) and beached the boat. ⁵⁴ As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized Him. ⁵⁵ They hurried throughout that vicinity and began to carry the sick^(M) on mats to wherever they heard He was. ⁵⁶ Wherever He would go, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch just the tassel^(N) of His robe.^(O) And everyone who touched it was made well.

The Traditions of the Elders

7 The^(P) Pharisees^(Q) and some of the scribes^(R) who had come from Jerusalem^(S) gathered around Him. ² They observed that some of His disciples were eating their bread with unclean^(T)—that is, unwashed—hands. ³ (For the Pharisees, in fact all the Jews, will not eat unless they wash their hands ritually, keeping the tradition of the elders. ⁴ When they come from the marketplace,^(U) they do not eat unless they have washed.^(V) And there are many other customs they have received and keep, like the washing of cups, jugs, copper utensils, and dining couches.^[d](W)) ⁵ Then the Pharisees^(X) and the scribes^(Y) asked Him, “Why don’t Your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders,^(Z) instead of eating bread with ritually unclean^[e] hands?”

⁶ He answered them, “Isaiah^(AA) prophesied^(AB) correctly about you hypocrites,^(AC) as it is written:^(AD)

⁸ Disregarding the command of God, you keep the tradition of men.”^{[g] 9} He also said to them, “You completely invalidate God’s command in order to maintain^[h] your tradition! ¹⁰ For Moses^(AJ) said:

¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or mother: Whatever benefit^(AM) you might have received from me is Corban’” (that is, a gift^(AN) committed to the temple), ¹² “you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. ¹³ You revoke God’s word^(AO) by your tradition that you have handed^(AP) down. And you do many other similar things.”