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Matthew 15-17
New King James Version
Matthew 15-17
New King James Version
Defilement Comes from Within(A)
15 Then (B)the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 (C)“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, (D)‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, (E)‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, (F)“Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 6 then he need not honor his father [a]or mother.’ Thus you have made the [b]commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 (G)Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 ‘These(H) people [c]draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
(I)Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
10 (J)When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 (K)Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
13 But He answered and said, (L)“Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. (M)They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
15 (N)Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
16 So Jesus said, (O)“Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand that (P)whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But (Q)those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 (R)For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
A Gentile Shows Her Faith(S)
21 (T)Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, (U)Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
23 But He answered her not a word.
And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
24 But He answered and said, (V)“I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little (W)dogs.”
27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, (X)great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Jesus Heals Great Multitudes(Y)
29 (Z)Jesus departed from there, (AA)skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 (AB)Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, [d]maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ (AC)feet, and He healed them. 31 So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the [e]maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they (AD)glorified the God of Israel.
Feeding the Four Thousand(AE)
32 (AF)Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”
33 (AG)Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?”
34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”
35 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. 36 And (AH)He took the seven loaves and the fish and (AI)gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. 37 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. 38 Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 (AJ)And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of [f]Magdala.
The Pharisees and Sadducees Seek a Sign(AK)
16 Then the (AL)Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; 3 and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ [g]Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 (AM)A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of [h]the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees(AN)
5 Now (AO)when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said to them, (AP)“Take heed and beware of the [i]leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”
7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”
8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you [j]have brought no bread? 9 (AQ)Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 (AR)Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the [k]leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the [l]doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ(AS)
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, (AT)“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
14 So they said, (AU)“Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or (AV)one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do (AW)you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered and said, (AX)“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, (AY)for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but (AZ)My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that (BA)you are Peter, and (BB)on this rock I will build My church, and (BC)the gates of Hades shall not [m]prevail against it. 19 (BD)And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth [n]will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
20 (BE)Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection(BF)
21 From that time Jesus began (BG)to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, [o]“Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, (BH)Satan! (BI)You are [p]an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Take Up the Cross and Follow Him(BJ)
24 (BK)Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and (BL)follow Me. 25 For (BM)whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what (BN)profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or (BO)what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For (BP)the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father (BQ)with His angels, (BR)and then He will reward each according to his works. 28 Assuredly, I say to you, (BS)there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
Jesus Transfigured on the Mount(BT)
17 Now (BU)after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, [q]let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 (BV)While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, (BW)“This is My beloved Son, (BX)in whom I am well pleased. (BY)Hear Him!” 6 (BZ)And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and (CA)touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” 8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”
10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, (CB)“Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming [r]first and will (CC)restore all things. 12 (CD)But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they (CE)did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise (CF)the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” 13 (CG)Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.
A Boy Is Healed(CH)
14 (CI)And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is [s]an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”
17 Then Jesus answered and said, “O [t]faithless and (CJ)perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus (CK)rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”
20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your [u]unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, (CL)if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 [v]However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection(CM)
22 (CN)Now while they were [w]staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly (CO)sorrowful.
Peter and His Master Pay Their Taxes
24 (CP)When they had come to [x]Capernaum, those who received the [y]temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”
25 He said, “Yes.”
And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from (CQ)strangers?”
26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”
Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a [z]piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 15:6 NU omits or mother
- Matthew 15:6 NU word
- Matthew 15:8 NU omits draw near to Me with their mouth, And
- Matthew 15:30 crippled
- Matthew 15:31 crippled
- Matthew 15:39 NU Magadan
- Matthew 16:3 NU omits Hypocrites
- Matthew 16:4 NU omits the prophet
- Matthew 16:6 yeast
- Matthew 16:8 NU have no bread
- Matthew 16:11 yeast
- Matthew 16:12 teaching
- Matthew 16:18 be victorious
- Matthew 16:19 Or will have been bound . . . will have been loosed
- Matthew 16:22 Lit. Merciful to You (May God be merciful)
- Matthew 16:23 a stumbling block
- Matthew 17:4 NU I will make
- Matthew 17:11 NU omits first
- Matthew 17:15 Lit. moonstruck
- Matthew 17:17 unbelieving
- Matthew 17:20 NU little faith
- Matthew 17:21 NU omits v. 21.
- Matthew 17:22 NU gathering together
- Matthew 17:24 NU Capharnaum, here and elsewhere
- Matthew 17:24 Lit. double drachma
- Matthew 17:27 Gr. stater, the exact temple tax for two
Matthew 15-17
New International Version
Matthew 15-17
New International Version
That Which Defiles(A)
15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”(B)
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’[a](C) and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[b](D) 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.(E)’[c](F)”
10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them,(G) but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”(H)
12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted(I) will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides.[d](J) If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”(K)
15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”(L)
16 “Are you still so dull?”(M) Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart,(N) and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.(O) 20 These are what defile a person;(P) but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman(Q)
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.(R) 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,(S) have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”(T)
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”(U)
25 The woman came and knelt before him.(V) “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!(W) Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand(X)(Y)(Z)
29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.(AA) 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.(AB)
32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people;(AC) they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them(AD) and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.(AE) 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
The Demand for a Sign(AF)
16 The Pharisees and Sadducees(AG) came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.(AH)
2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.[e](AI) 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”(AJ) Jesus then left them and went away.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”(AK)
7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”
8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith,(AL) why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?(AM) 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?(AN) 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.(AO)
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah(AP)
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;(AQ) others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”(AR)
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”(AS)
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,(AT) but by my Father in heaven.(AU) 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[f](AV) and on this rock I will build my church,(AW) and the gates of Hades[g] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys(AX) of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[h] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[i] loosed in heaven.”(AY) 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone(AZ) that he was the Messiah.
Jesus Predicts His Death(BA)
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem(BB) and suffer many things(BC) at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,(BD) and that he must be killed(BE) and on the third day(BF) be raised to life.(BG)
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!(BH) You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.(BI) 25 For whoever wants to save their life[j] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.(BJ) 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man(BK) is going to come(BL) in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.(BM)
28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
The Transfiguration(BN)(BO)
17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John(BP) the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.(BQ) Listen to him!”(BR)
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”(BS) 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone(BT) what you have seen, until the Son of Man(BU) has been raised from the dead.”(BV)
10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.(BW) 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come,(BX) and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished.(BY) In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer(BZ) at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.(CA)
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy(CB)
14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures(CC) and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith(CD) as small as a mustard seed,(CE) you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.(CF) Nothing will be impossible for you.” [21] [k]
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man(CG) is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him,(CH) and on the third day(CI) he will be raised to life.”(CJ) And the disciples were filled with grief.
The Temple Tax
24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax(CK) came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”
25 “Yes, he does,” he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes(CL)—from their own children or from others?”
26 “From others,” Peter answered.
“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not cause offense,(CM) go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
- Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9
- Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13
- Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts blind guides of the blind
- Matthew 16:3 Some early manuscripts do not have When evening comes … of the times.
- Matthew 16:18 The Greek word for Peter means rock.
- Matthew 16:18 That is, the realm of the dead
- Matthew 16:19 Or will have been
- Matthew 16:19 Or will have been
- Matthew 16:25 The Greek word means either life or soul; also in verse 26.
- Matthew 17:21 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Mark 9:29.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.