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, “^(A)Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Leave them alone; ^(B)they are blind guides ^[b]of blind people. And ^(C)if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.”

The Heart of Man

¹⁵ Peter ^[c]said to Him, “^(D)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 ^(E)the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and those things defile the person. ^19 (F)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 Heart of Man

¹⁴ After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: ¹⁵ there is nothing outside the person which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which come out of the person are what defile the person^[a].”

¹⁷ And when He later entered a house, away from the crowd, ^(A)His disciples asked Him about the parable. ¹⁸ And He *said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding as well? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the person from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and ^[b]is eliminated?” (Thereby He declared ^(B)all foods ^(C)clean.) ²⁰ And He was saying, “^(D)That which comes out of the person, that is what defiles the person. ²¹ For from within, out of the ^[c]hearts of people, come the evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, acts of adultery, ²² deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behavior, ^[d](E)envy, slander, ^[e]pride, and foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from within and defile the person.”

Paul before the Council

23 Now looking intently at ^(A)the ^[a]Council, Paul said, “^[b](B)Brothers, ^(C)I have ^[c]lived my life with an entirely good conscience before God up to this day.” ² But the high priest ^(D)Ananias commanded those standing beside him ^(E)to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, ^(F)you whitewashed wall! Do you ^(G)sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law, order me to be struck?” ⁴ But those present said, “Are you insulting God’s high priest?” ⁵ And Paul said, “I was not aware, brothers, that he is high priest; for it is written: ‘^(H)You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

⁶ But Paul, perceiving that one group were ^(I)Sadducees and the other Pharisees, began crying out in ^(J)the ^[d]Council, “^[e](K)Brothers, ^(L)I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for ^(M)the hope and resurrection of the dead!” ⁷ When he said this, a dissension occurred between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For ^(N)the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. ⁹ And a great uproar occurred; and some of ^(O)the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and started arguing heatedly, saying, “^(P)We find nothing wrong with this man; ^(Q)suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” ¹⁰ And when a great dissension occurred, the commander was afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, and he ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into ^(R)the barracks.

¹¹ But on ^(S)the following night, the Lord stood near him and said, “^(T)Be courageous! For ^(U)as you have ^(V)testified to the truth about Me in Jerusalem, so you must testify in Rome also.”

¹⁵ For this reason ^(A)He is the ^(B)mediator of a ^(C)new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the violations that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been ^(D)called may ^(E)receive the promise of ^(F)the eternal inheritance. ¹⁶ For where there is a ^[a]covenant, there must of necessity ^[b]be the death of the one who made it. ¹⁷ For a ^[c]covenant is valid only when people are dead, ^[d]for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. ¹⁸ Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. ¹⁹ For when every commandment had been ^(G)spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, ^(H)he took the ^(I)blood of the calves and the goats, with ^(J)water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both ^(K)the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, “^(L)This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” ²¹ And in the same way he ^(M)sprinkled both the ^[e]tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. ²² And ^(N)almost all things are cleansed with blood, according to the Law, and ^(O)without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

^28 (A)Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ^29 (B)How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve ^(C)who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean ^(D)the blood of the covenant ^(E)by which he was sanctified, and has ^(F)insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know Him who said, “^(G)Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “^(H)The Lord will judge His people.” ³¹ It is a ^(I)terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the ^(J)living God.

³² But remember ^(K)the former days, ^[a]when, after being ^(L)enlightened, you endured a great ^(M)conflict of sufferings, ³³ partly by being ^(N)made a public spectacle through insults and distress, and partly by becoming ^[b](O)companions with those who were so treated. ³⁴ For you ^(P)showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted ^(Q)joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves ^(R)a better and lasting possession. ³⁵ Therefore, do not throw away your ^(S)confidence, which has a great ^(T)reward. ³⁶ For you have need of ^(U)endurance, so that when you have ^(V)done the will of God, you may ^(W)receive ^[c]what was promised.

³⁹ But ^[d]we are not among those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith for the safekeeping of the soul.