Mafundisho Ya Mafarisayo

15 Baadhi ya walimu wa sheria na Mafarisayo kutoka Yerusalemu walikuja kwa Yesu wakamwuliza, “Mbona wanafunzi wako hawafu ati mafundisho ya wazee wetu? Kwa maana wao hawanawi mikono ka bla ya kula!” Yesu akawajibu, “Mbona ninyi mnazivunja amri za Mungu kwa ajili ya mafundisho yenu? Kwa maana Mungu alisema: ‘Waheshimu baba yako na mama yako’ na ‘Ye yote amtukanaye baba yake au mama yake, na auawe.’ Lakini ninyi mnasema kwamba mtu akimwambia baba yake au mama yake, ‘Kile ambacho ningeweza kuku saidia nacho nimekitoa kwa Mungu,’ basi hana wajibu tena wa kum saidia baba yake. Basi kwa ajili ya mafundisho yenu mnavunja amri ya Mungu. Ninyi wanafiki! Isaya alisema sawa juu yenu alipotabiri kwamba: ‘Watu hawa huniheshimu kwa midomo yao, lakini mioyo yao iko mbali nami. Kuniabudu kwao ni bure, na mafundisho yao ni maagizo ya wanadamu.’ ”

Usafi Wa Kweli

10 Yesu akaita ule umati wa watu akawaambia, “Sikilizeni kwa makini na mwelewe: 11 kinachomfanya mtu kuwa mchafu mbele ya Mungu si kile kiingiacho kinywani mwake, bali ni kile kitokacho kinywani mwake.” 12 Kisha wanafunzi wake wakaja wakamwambia, “Unafahamu kwamba Mafarisayo walichukizwa sana na yale maneno uliyosema?”

13 Akawajibu, “Kila mmea ambao Baba yangu wa mbinguni hakuupanda, utang’olewa. 14 Waacheni; wao ni viongozi vipofu. Na kama kipofu akimwongoza kipofu mwenzake, wote wawili watatumbukia shimoni.”

15 Petro akasema, “Tuambie maana ya mfano huo.” 16 Yesu akawauliza, “Hata na ninyi bado hamwelewi? 17 Hamtambui kwamba cho chote kiingiacho mdomoni hupitia tumboni na hatimaye hutolewa nje? 18 Lakini kitokacho kinywani hutoka moyoni, na hiki ndicho kinachomfanya mtu kuwa mchafu. 19 Kwa maana ndani ya moyo hutoka mawazo machafu, uuaji, uzinzi, uasherati, wizi, ushahidi wa uongo na matukano. 20 Haya ndio yamchafuayo mtu, lakini kula bila kunawa mikono hakumchafui mtu.”

21 Na Yesu akaondoka mahali hapo akaenda sehemu za Tiro na Sidoni. 22 Mwanamke mmoja Mkanaani aliyeishi sehemu hizo akaja kwake, akamlilia, akasema, “Nihurumie, Bwana, Mwana wa Daudi; binti yangu amepagawa na pepo na anasumbuka sana.” 23 Lakini Yesu hakumjibu neno. Basi wanafunzi wake wakamwendea wakamwomba, “Mwambie aende zake, kwa maana anaendelea kutupigia kelele. ” 24 Akajibu, “Nimetumwa tu kwa ajili ya kondoo wa Israeli wal iopotea.”

25 Lakini yule mwanamke akaja, akapiga magoti mbele ya Yesu akasema, “Bwana, nisaidie!” 26 Yesu akajibu, “Si haki kuchu kua chakula cha watoto na kuwatupia mbwa.” 27 Yule mwanamke akajibu, “Ndio, Bwana, lakini hata mbwa hula makombo yanayoan guka kutoka kwenye meza za mabwana wao.”

28 Ndipo Yesu akamwambia, “Mama, imani yako ni kubwa! Na ufanyiwe kama unavyotaka.” Tangu wakati huo mtoto wake akapona.

Yesu Aponya Watu Wengi

29 Yesu akaondoka mahali hapo akapita kando ya bahari ya Galilaya. Akapanda mlimani, akaketi huko . 30 Umati mkubwa wa watu wakamjia wakiwaleta viwete, vilema, vipofu, viziwi na wen gine wengi, wakawaweka karibu yake; naye akawaponya. 31 Watu wakashangaa walipoona bubu wakisema, vilema wakipona, viwete wakitembea na vipofu wakiona; wakamtukuza Mungu wa Israeli.

Yesu Alisha Watu Elfu Nne

32 Kisha Yesu akawaita wanafunzi wake akawaambia, “Nina waonea huruma watu hawa kwa maana wamekuwa nami kwa muda wa siku tatu sasa na hawana chakula. Sipendi kuwaaga wakiwa na njaa wasije wakazimia njiani.”

33 Wanafunzi wake wakasema, “Tutapata wapi chakula cha kutosha kuwalisha watu hawa wote, nasi tuko nyikani?” 34 Na Yesu akawauliza, “Mnayo mikate mingapi?” Wakamjibu, “Saba, na samaki wadogo wachache.” 35 Yesu akaamuru watu wakae chini. 36 Kisha akachukua ile mikate saba na wale samaki, akamshukuru Mungu, akavimega akawapa wanafunzi wake, nao wakawapa watu. 37 Wote wakala, wakashiba. Baadaye wanafunzi wakakusanya vipande vilivyosalia, wakajaza vikapu saba. 38 Idadi ya watu waliokula ilikuwa elfu nne bila kuhesabu wanawake na watoto.

39 Baada ya kuwaaga watu, Yesu akaingia katika mashua akaenda sehemu za Magadani.

Sheria ya Mungu na Desturi za Kibinadamu

(Mk 7:1-23)

15 Kisha baadhi ya Mafarisayo na walimu wa sheria kutoka Yerusalemu walimjia Yesu na kumwuliza, “Kwa nini wafuasi wako hawatii desturi tulizorithi kutoka kwa viongozi wetu wakuu walioishi hapo zamani? Wafuasi wako hawanawi mikono kabla ya kula!”

Yesu akajibu, “Na kwa nini mnakataa kutii amri ya Mungu ili muweze kuzifuata desturi zenu? Mungu alisema, ‘Ni lazima umtii baba na mama yako.’(A) Na Mungu alisema pia kuwa, ‘Kila anayemnenea vibaya mama au baba yake lazima auawe.’(B) Lakini mnafundisha kuwa mtu anaweza kumwambia baba au mama yake, ‘Nina kitu ninachoweza kukupa kukusaidia, Lakini sitakupa, bali nitampa Mungu.’ Mnawafundisha kutowatii baba zao. Hivyo mnafundisha kuwa si muhimu kufanya kile alichosema Mungu. Mnadhani ni muhimu kufuata mila na desturi zenu mlizonazo. Enyi wanafiki! Isaya alikuwa sahihi alipozungumza kwa niaba ya Mungu kuhusu ninyi aliposema:

‘Watu hawa wananiheshimu kwa maneno tu,
    lakini mimi si wa muhimu kwao.
Ibada zao kwangu hazina maana.
    Wanafundisha kanuni za kibinadamu tu.’”(C)

10 Yesu akawaita watu. Akasema, “Sikieni na mwelewe nitakachosema. 11 Si chakula kinachoingia mdomoni kinachomtia mtu unajisi,[a] bali kile kinachomtoka mdomoni mwake.” 12 Kisha wafuasi wakamjia na kumwuliza, “Unajua kuwa Mafarisayo wamekasirika kutokana na yale uliyosema?”

13 Yesu akajibu, “Kila mti ambao haukupandwa na Baba yangu wa mbinguni utang'olewa. 14 Kaeni mbali na Mafarisayo. Wanawaongoza watu, lakini ni sawa na wasiyeona wanaowaongoza wasiyeona wengine. Na kama asiyeona akimwongoza asiyeona mwingine, wote wawili wataangukia shimoni.”

15 Petro akasema, “Tufafanulie yale uliyosema awali kuhusu kile kinachowatia watu najisi.”

16 Yesu akasema, “Bado mna matatizo ya kuelewa? 17 Hakika mnajua kuwa vyakula vyote vinavyoingia kinywani huenda tumboni. Kutoka huko hutoka nje ya mwili. 18 Lakini mambo mabaya ambayo watu wanasema kwa vinywa vyao hutokana na mawazo yao. Na hayo ndiyo yanayoweza kumtia mtu unajisi. 19 Mambo mabaya haya yote huanzia akilini: mawazo maovu, mauaji, uzinzi, uasherati, wizi, uongo, na matukano. 20 Haya ndiyo mambo yanayowatia watu unajisi. Kula bila kunawa mikono hakuwezi kuwafanya watu wasikubaliwe na Mungu.”

Yesu Amsaidia Mwanamke Asiye Myahudi

(Mk 7:24-30)

21 Kutoka pale, Yesu alikwenda maeneo ya Tiro na Sidoni. 22 Mwanamke Mkanaani kutoka eneo hilo akatokea na kuanza kupaza sauti, “Bwana, Mwana wa Daudi, tafadhali nisaidie! Binti yangu ana pepo ndani yake, na anateseka sana.”

23 Lakini Yesu hakumjibu. Hivyo wanafunzi wake wakamwendea Yesu na kumwambia, “Mwambie aondoke, anaendelea kupaza sauti na hatatuacha.”

24 Yesu akajibu, “Mungu alinituma niwasaidie kondoo wa Mungu waliopotea, watu wa Israeli.”[b]

25 Ndipo mwanamke alikuja mahali alipokuwa Yesu na kuinama mbele yake. Akasema, “Bwana, nisaidie!”

26 Akamjibu kwa kumwambia, “Si sahihi kuwapa mbwa mkate wa watoto.”

27 Mwanamke akasema, “Ndiyo, Bwana, lakini hata mbwa hula vipande vya chakula vinavyoanguka kutoka kwenye meza za mabwana zao.”

28 Kisha Yesu akamjibu, “Mwanamke, una imani kuu! Utapata ulichoomba.” Wakati huo huo binti wa yule mwanamke akaponywa.

Yesu Awaponya Watu Wengi

29 Kisha Yesu akatoka pale na kwenda pwani ya Ziwa Galilaya. Alipanda vilima na akaketi chini.

30 Kundi kubwa la watu likamwendea. Walileta watu wengine wengi waliokuwa wagonjwa na kuwaweka mbele yake. Walikuwepo watu wasioweza kutembea, wasiyeona, walemavu wa miguu, wasiyesikia na wengine wengi. 31 Watu walishangaa walipoona kuwa waliokuwa wasiyesema walianza kusema, walemavu wa miguu waliponywa, waliokuwa hawawezi kutembea waliweza kutembea, wasiyeona waliweza kuona. Kila mtu alimshukuru Mungu wa Israeli kwa hili.

Yesu Awalisha Watu Zaidi ya 4,000

(Mk 8:1-10)

32 Kisha Yesu akawaita wafuasi wake na kuwaambia, “Ninawaonea huruma watu hawa. Wamekuwa pamoja nami kwa siku tatu, na sasa hawana chakula. Sitaki niwaache waende wakiwa na njaa. Wanaweza kuzimia njiani wanaporudi nyumbani.”

33 Wafuasi wakamwuliza Yesu, “Tutapata wapi mikate ya kutosha kuwalisha watu wote hawa? Tuko nyikani mbali ni miji.”

34 Yesu akawauliza, “Mna mikate mingapi?”

Wakamjibu, “Tuna mikate saba na samaki wadogo wachache.”

35 Yesu akawaambia watu waketi chini. 36 Akaichukua mikate saba na samaki. Akamshukuru Mungu kwa sababu ya chakula. Akaigawa vipande vipande, akawapa wafuasi wake na wafuasi wakawapa watu chakula. 37 Watu wote walikula mpaka wakashiba. Baada ya hili, wafuasi walijaza vikapu saba kwa vipande vya chakula vilivyosalia ambavyo havikuliwa. 38 Walikuwepo wanaume 4,000 pale waliokula. Walikuwepo pia wanawake na watoto. 39 Baada ya wote kula, Yesu akawaambia watu wanaweza kwenda nyumbani. Alipanda mashua na kwenda eneo la Magadani.

Footnotes

  1. 15:11 unajisi Yaani, “kichafu” au “kisicho safi”, maana yake kisichokubaliwa na Mungu. Pia katika mstari wa 18,20.
  2. 15:24 watu wa Israeli Au “kondoo wa Israeli”.

That Which Defiles(A)

15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”(B)

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’[a](C) and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[b](D) But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

“‘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.(E)[c](F)

10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them,(G) but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”(H)

12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted(I) will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides.[d](J) If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”(K)

15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”(L)

16 “Are you still so dull?”(M) Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart,(N) and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.(O) 20 These are what defile a person;(P) but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman(Q)

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.(R) 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,(S) have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”(T)

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”(U)

25 The woman came and knelt before him.(V) “Lord, help me!” she said.

26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!(W) Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand(X)(Y)(Z)

29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.(AA) 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.(AB)

32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people;(AC) they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them(AD) and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.(AE) 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
  2. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9
  3. Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13
  4. Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts blind guides of the blind