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Matthew 15:1-20
English Standard Version
Matthew 15:1-20
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.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, (G)‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, (H)‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,”[a] 6 he 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;
9 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as (L)doctrines the commandments of men.’”
What Defiles a Person
10 And 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.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were (O)offended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, (P)“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted (Q)will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; (R)they are blind guides.[c] And (S)if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, (T)“Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, (U)“Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that (V)whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?[d] 18 But (W)what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come (X)evil thoughts, (Y)murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, (Z)slander. 20 (AA)These are what defile a person. But (AB)to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Matthew 15:5 Or is an offering
- Matthew 15:6 Some manuscripts law
- Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts add of the blind
- Matthew 15:17 Greek is expelled into the latrine
Matthew 15:1-20
New International Version
Matthew 15:1-20
New International Version
That Which Defiles(A)
15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”(B)
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 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) 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 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.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
- Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9
- Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13
- Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts blind guides of the blind
Psalm 36
English Standard Version
Psalm 36
English Standard Version
How Precious Is Your Steadfast Love
To the choirmaster. Of David, the (A)servant of the Lord.
36 Transgression speaks to the wicked
deep in his heart;[a]
(B)there is no fear of God
before his eyes.
2 (C)For he flatters himself in his own eyes
that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of his mouth are (D)trouble and deceit;
(E)he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 He (F)plots (G)trouble while on his bed;
he sets himself in (H)a way that is not good;
(I)he does not reject evil.
5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 (J)Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
(K)your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you (L)save, O Lord.
7 (M)How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge (N)in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on (O)the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from (P)the river of (Q)your delights.
9 For with you is (R)the fountain of life;
(S)in your light do we see light.
10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who (T)know you,
and your righteousness to (U)the upright of heart!
11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There (V)the evildoers lie fallen;
they are thrust down, (W)unable to rise.
Footnotes
- Psalm 36:1 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, Jerome (compare Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts in my heart
Psalm 36
New International Version
Psalm 36
New International Version
Psalm 36[a]
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.
1 I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:[b](A)
There is no fear(B) of God
before their eyes.(C)
2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.(D)
3 The words of their mouths(E) are wicked and deceitful;(F)
they fail to act wisely(G) or do good.(H)
4 Even on their beds they plot evil;(I)
they commit themselves to a sinful course(J)
and do not reject what is wrong.(K)
5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness(L) to the skies.(M)
6 Your righteousness(N) is like the highest mountains,(O)
your justice like the great deep.(P)
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.(Q)
7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!(R)
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(S)
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;(T)
you give them drink from your river(U) of delights.(V)
9 For with you is the fountain of life;(W)
in your light(X) we see light.
Footnotes
- Psalm 36:1 In Hebrew texts 36:1-12 is numbered 36:2-13.
- Psalm 36:1 Or A message from God: The transgression of the wicked / resides in their hearts.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.