Mark 7:6-23

New American Standard Bible 1995

⁶ And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

⁸ Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the ^(C)tradition of men.”

⁹ He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your ^(D)tradition. ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘^(E)Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘^(F)He who speaks evil of father or mother, is to ^[a]be put to death’; ¹¹ but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is ^(G)Corban (that is to say, ^[b]given to God),’ ¹² you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; ¹³ thus invalidating the word of God by your ^(H)tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.”

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 man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. ¹⁶ [^[c]If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”]

¹⁷ When he had left the crowd and entered ^(I)the house, ^(J)His disciples questioned Him about the parable. ¹⁸ And He *said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and ^[d]is eliminated?” (Thus He declared ^(K)all foods ^(L)clean.) ²⁰ And He was saying, “^(M)That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. ²¹ For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, ^[e]fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, ²² deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, ^[f](N)envy, slander, ^[g]pride and foolishness. ²³ All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”