Matthew 15:1-13

English Standard Version

Traditions and Commandments

15 ^(A)Then Pharisees and ^(B)scribes came to Jesus ^(C)from Jerusalem and said, ²^(D)“Why do your disciples break ^(E)the tradition of the elders? ^(F)For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” ³He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴For God commanded, ^(G)‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ^(H)‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ ⁵But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,”^[a] ⁶he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have ^(I)made void the word^[b] of God. ⁷^(J)You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

⁸^(K)“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
⁹in vain do they worship me,
teaching as ^(L)doctrines the commandments of men.’”

What Defiles a Person

¹⁰And he called the people to him and said to them, ^(M)“Hear and understand: ¹¹^(N)it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” ¹²Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were ^(O)offended when they heard this saying?” ¹³He answered, ^(P)“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted ^(Q)will be rooted up.