⁶ Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons.^[a]

²⁵ A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew^[a] over ceremonial cleansing.

¹⁰ For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.

²⁶ to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.^[a]

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.”

²² let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

¹⁹ For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats,^[a] along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool.

² You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.