Isaiah 29:13
New Living Translation
13 And so the Lord says,
“These people say they are mine.
They honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me
is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.[a]
Isaiah 29:13
New International Version
13 The Lord says:
Footnotes
- Isaiah 29:13 Hebrew; Septuagint They worship me in vain; / their teachings are merely human rules
Mark 7:2-13
New Living Translation
2 They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. 3 (The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands,[a] as required by their ancient traditions. 4 Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands[b] in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to—such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.[c])
5 So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.”
6 Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,
‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’[d]
8 For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”
9 Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. 10 For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’[e] and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’[f] 11 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’[g] 12 In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. 13 And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 7:3 Greek have washed with the fist.
- 7:4a Some manuscripts read sprinkle themselves.
- 7:4b Some manuscripts add and dining couches.
- 7:7 Isa 29:13 (Greek version).
- 7:10a Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.
- 7:10b Exod 21:17 (Greek version); Lev 20:9 (Greek version).
- 7:11 Greek ‘What I would have given to you is Corban’ (that is, a gift).
Mark 7:2-13
New International Version
2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled,(A) that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.(B) 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.[a])(C)
5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders(D) instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”
6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’[b](E)
8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”(F)
9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[c] your own traditions!(G) 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[d](H) and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[e](I) 11 But you say(J) that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— 12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God(K) by your tradition(L) that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
Ezekiel 33:31-33
New Living Translation
31 So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. 32 You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it! 33 But when all these terrible things happen to them—as they certainly will—then they will know a prophet has been among them.”
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Ezekiel 33:31-33
New International Version
31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before(A) you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy(B) for unjust gain.(C) 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs(D) with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.(E)
33 “When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.(F)”
Jeremiah 12:2
New Living Translation
2 You have planted them,
and they have taken root and prospered.
Your name is on their lips,
but you are far from their hearts.
Jeremiah 12:2
New International Version
Matthew 15:2-9
New Living Translation
2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[a] and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’[b] 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents.[c] And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,
8 ‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’[d]”
Footnotes
- 15:4a Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.
- 15:4b Exod 21:17 (Greek version); Lev 20:9 (Greek version).
- 15:6 Greek their father; other manuscripts read their father or their mother.
- 15:8-9 Isa 29:13 (Greek version).
Matthew 15:2-9
New International Version
2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”(A)
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](B) and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[b](C) 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:
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
Jeremiah 3:10
New Living Translation
10 But despite all this, her faithless sister Judah has never sincerely returned to me. She has only pretended to be sorry. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
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Jeremiah 3:10
New International Version
10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return(A) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,(B)” declares the Lord.(C)
Isaiah 58:2-3
New Living Translation
2 Yet they act so pious!
They come to the Temple every day
and seem delighted to learn all about me.
They act like a righteous nation
that would never abandon the laws of its God.
They ask me to take action on their behalf,
pretending they want to be near me.
3 ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.
‘Why aren’t you impressed?
We have been very hard on ourselves,
and you don’t even notice it!’
“I will tell you why!” I respond.
“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.
Even while you fast,
you keep oppressing your workers.
Isaiah 58:2-3
New International Version
2 For day after day they seek(A) me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken(B) the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near(C) them.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’(D) they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled(E) ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’(F)
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please(G)
and exploit all your workers.
Proverbs 30:6
New Living Translation
6 Do not add to his words,
or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
Proverbs 30:6
New International Version
6 Do not add(A) to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
Colossians 2:22
New Living Translation
22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them.
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Colossians 2:22
New International Version
22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish(A) with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.(B)
Isaiah 48:1-2
New Living Translation
God’s Stubborn People
48 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob,
you who are called by the name of Israel
and born into the family of Judah.
Listen, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord
and call on the God of Israel.
You don’t keep your promises,
2 even though you call yourself the holy city
and talk about depending on the God of Israel,
whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Isaiah 48:1-2
New International Version
Stubborn Israel
48 “Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob,
you who are called by the name of Israel(A)
and come from the line of Judah,(B)
you who take oaths(C) in the name of the Lord(D)
and invoke(E) the God of Israel—
but not in truth(F) or righteousness—
2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city(G)
and claim to rely(H) on the God of Israel—
the Lord Almighty is his name:(I)
Jeremiah 42:2-4
New Living Translation
2 Jeremiah the prophet. They said, “Please pray to the Lord your God for us. As you can see, we are only a tiny remnant compared to what we were before. 3 Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go.”
4 “All right,” Jeremiah replied. “I will pray to the Lord your God, as you have asked, and I will tell you everything he says. I will hide nothing from you.”
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Jeremiah 42:2-4
New International Version
2 Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray(A) to the Lord your God for this entire remnant.(B) For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few(C) are left. 3 Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”(D)
4 “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray(E) to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell(F) you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.”(G)
Jeremiah 5:2
New Living Translation
2 But even when they are under oath,
saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’
they are still telling lies!”
Jeremiah 5:2
New International Version
Jeremiah 42:20
New Living Translation
20 For you were not being honest when you sent me to pray to the Lord your God for you. You said, ‘Just tell us what the Lord our God says, and we will do it!’
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Jeremiah 42:20
New International Version
20 that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’(A)
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