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The Pharisees and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] asked Jesus, “Why don’t your ·followers [disciples] ·obey [walk according to] the ·unwritten laws which have been handed down to us [traditions of the elders]? Why do they eat their food with hands that are ·not clean [defiled]?”

Jesus answered, “Isaiah was right when he ·spoke [prophesied] about you hypocrites. ·He wrote [As it is written],

‘These people show honor to me with ·words [L their lips],
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me is ·worthless [futile; in vain].
    The things they teach are nothing but human ·rules [commandments; Is. 29:13].’

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So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders(A) instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”

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.
They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.’[a](B)

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 7:7 Isaiah 29:13