Matthew 15:12-39

English Standard Version

¹² Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were ^(A)offended when they heard this saying?” ¹³ He answered, ^(B)“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted ^(C)will be rooted up. ¹⁴ Let them alone; ^(D)they are blind guides.^[a] And ^(E)if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” ¹⁵ But Peter said to him, ^(F)“Explain the parable to us.” ¹⁶ And he said, ^(G)“Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not see that ^(H)whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?^{[b] 18} But ^(I)what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come ^(J)evil thoughts, ^(K)murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, ^(L)slander. ^20 (M)These are what defile a person. But ^(N)to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

^21 (O)And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And behold, ^(P)a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, ^(Q)“Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” ²³ But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, ^(R)“Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” ²⁴ He answered, ^(S)“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ But she came and ^(T)knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ²⁶ And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and ^(U)throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷ She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat ^(V)the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, ^(W)great is your faith! ^(X)Let it be done for you as you desire.” ^(Y)And her daughter was ^(Z)healed instantly.^[c]

Jesus Heals Many

^29 (AA)Jesus went on from there and walked ^(AB)beside the Sea of Galilee. And he ^(AC)went up on the mountain and sat down there. ³⁰ And great crowds came to him, bringing with them ^(AD)the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, ^31 (AE)so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, ^(AF)the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And ^(AG)they glorified ^(AH)the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

^32 (AI)Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ^(AJ)“I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” ³³ And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” ³⁴ And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, ^(AK)“Seven, and a few small fish.” ³⁵ And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, ³⁶ he took the seven loaves and the fish, and ^(AL)having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ³⁷ And ^(AM)they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. ³⁸ Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹ And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of ^(AN)Magadan.