Matthew 15:10-28

GOD’S WORD Translation

¹⁰ Then he called the crowd and said to them, “Listen and try to understand! ¹¹ What goes into a person’s mouth doesn’t make him unclean.^[a] It’s what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean.”

¹² Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you realize that when the Pharisees heard your statement they were offended?”

¹³ He answered, “Any plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Leave them alone! They are blind leaders. When one blind person leads another, both will fall into the same pit.”

¹⁵ Peter said to him, “Explain this illustration to us.”

¹⁶ Jesus said, “Don’t you understand yet? ¹⁷ Don’t you know that whatever goes into the mouth goes into the stomach and then into a toilet? ¹⁸ But whatever goes out of the mouth comes from within, and that’s what makes a person unclean. ¹⁹ Evil thoughts, murder, adultery, ⌞other⌟ sexual sins, stealing, lying, and cursing come from within. ²⁰ These are the things that make a person unclean. But eating without washing one’s hands doesn’t make a person unclean.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman^(A)

²¹ Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

²² A Canaanite woman from that territory came ⌞to him⌟ and began to shout, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

²³ But he did not answer her at all. Then his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away. She keeps shouting behind us.”

²⁴ Jesus responded, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel.”

²⁵ She came to him, bowed down, and said, “Lord, help me!”

²⁶ Jesus replied, “It’s not right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁷ She said, “You’re right, Lord. But even the dogs eat scraps that fall from their masters’ tables.”

²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, you have strong faith! What you wanted will be done for you.” At that moment her daughter was cured.