Traditions and Commandments

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

(K)“‘This people honors me with their lips,
    but their heart is far from me;
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.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

21 (AC)And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, (AD)a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, (AE)“Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, (AF)“Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, (AG)“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and (AH)knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and (AI)throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat (AJ)the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, (AK)great is your faith! (AL)Let it be done for you as you desire.” (AM)And her daughter was (AN)healed instantly.[e]

Jesus Heals Many

29 (AO)Jesus went on from there and walked (AP)beside the Sea of Galilee. And he (AQ)went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them (AR)the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 (AS)so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, (AT)the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And (AU)they glorified (AV)the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

32 (AW)Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, (AX)“I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33 And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” 34 And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, (AY)“Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and (AZ)having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And (BA)they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of (BB)Magadan.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 15:5 Or is an offering
  2. Matthew 15:6 Some manuscripts law
  3. Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts add of the blind
  4. Matthew 15:17 Greek is expelled into the latrine
  5. Matthew 15:28 Greek from that hour

Obulongoofu n’Obutali Bulongoofu

15 Awo Abafalisaayo n’abannyonnyozi b’amateeka ne bava e Yerusaalemi ne bajja eri Yesu ne bamubuuza nti: (A)“Abayigirizwa bo lwaki banyoomoola obulombolombo bw’Abakadde? Kubanga tebanaaba mu ngalo nga bagenda okulya emmere.”

Naye Yesu naye n’ababuuza nti, “Lwaki mumenya amateeka ga Katonda, nga mwerimbika mu bulombolombo bwammwe? (B)Katonda yagamba nti, ‘Kitaawo ne nnyoko obassangamu ekitiibwa. Oyo anaavumanga kitaawe ne nnyina battanga mutte,’ Naye mmwe mugamba nti, Buli agamba kitaawe oba nnyina nti, ‘Ekirabo kye nandikuwadde nkiwaddeyo eri Katonda,’ omuntu oyo teyeetaaga kussaamu kitaawe kitiibwa. Noolwekyo tassaamu kitaawe oba nnyina kitiibwa. Bwe mutyo ne mudibya etteeka lya Katonda olw’obulombolombo bwammwe. Mmwe bannanfuusi! Nnabbi Isaaya yayogera bulungi ebyobunnabbi ebibakwatako bwe yagamba nti,

“ ‘Abantu bano banzisaamu ekitiibwa kya ku mimwa.’
    Naye emitima gyabwe gindi wala.
(C)‘Okusinza kwabwe kwa bwereere.
    Kubanga bayigiriza amateeka abantu ge beekoledde.’ ”

10 Yesu n’ayita ekibiina n’abagamba nti, “Mumpulirize era mutegeere. 11 (D)Omuntu ky’alya si kye kimwonoonyesa, wabula ekyo ekiva mu kamwa ke, kye kimwonoonyesa.”

12 Abayigirizwa be ne bajja gy’ali ne bamugamba nti, “Omanyi ebigambo byo nga bwe binyiizizza Abafalisaayo?”

13 (E)Naye Yesu n’addamu nti, “Buli kisimbe Kitange ali mu ggulu ky’ataasimba kigenda kusimbulwa. 14 (F)Noolwekyo mubaleke. Bakulembeze abazibe b’amaaso. Bafaanana omuzibe w’amaaso akulembera muzibe munne, kubanga bombi bagenda kugwa mu kinnya.”

15 (G)Peetero n’amugamba nti, “Tunnyonnyole olugero olwo.”

16 (H)Yesu n’abagamba nti, “Nammwe era temunnategeera? 17 Temumanyi nti buli muntu ky’alya kigenda mu lubuto mwe kiva n’akifulumiza mu kiyigo? 18 (I)Naye ebintu ebiva mu kamwa, biva mu mutima ne byonoona omuntu. 19 (J)Kubanga mu mutima mwe muva ebirowoozo ebibi, obussi, n’obwenzi, eby’obukaba, n’obubbi, n’okuwaayiriza, n’okuvvoola. 20 (K)Ebyo bye byonoona omuntu, naye okulya nga tonaabye mu ngalo, tekwonoona muntu.”

Okukkiriza kw’Omukanani

21 (L)Yesu n’ava mu kifo ekyo, n’agenda mu kitundu omuli ebibuga Ttuulo ne Sidoni. 22 (M)Awo omukazi Omukanani eyali abeera mu bitundu ebyo, n’ajja eri Yesu n’amwegayirira nti, “Onsaasire Mukama wange, Omwana wa Dawudi! Muwala wange aliko dayimooni amubonyaabonya nnyo.”

23 Naye Yesu n’asirika n’atamuddamu kigambo na kimu. Abayigirizwa be ne bajja ne bamugamba nti, “Bw’omugoba n’agenda. Ng’ayitirizza okutukaabirira.”

24 (N)Naye Yesu n’addamu omukazi nti, “Nze saatumibwa walala wonna, wabula eri endiga za Isirayiri ezaabula.”

25 (O)Naye omukazi n’asembera awali Yesu n’amusinza, n’amwegayirira ng’agamba nti, “Mukama wange, nnyamba.”

26 Yesu n’amuddamu nti, “Si kituufu okuddira emmere y’omwana okugisuulira embwa.”

27 Omukazi n’addamu nti, “Weewaawo, Mukama wange, naye n’embwa nazo zirya ku bukunkumuka obugwa wansi okuva ku mmeeza ya mukama waazo.”

28 (P)Awo Yesu n’amugamba nti, “Mukazi watu, ng’okukkiriza kwo kunene! Kale kikukolerwe nga bw’oyagala.” Amangwago muwala we n’awonera mu kiseera ekyo.

Yesu Aliisa Enkumi Ennya

29 Yesu n’avaayo n’ajja emitala okumpi n’ennyanja y’e Ggaliraaya n’alinnya ku lusozi n’atuula eyo. 30 (Q)Abantu bangi ne bajja gy’ali, ne bamuleetera, abakoozimbye, n’abatayogera n’abalala bangi ne babassa we yali n’abawonya. 31 (R)Abantu bangi ne beewuunya, nga balaba ababadde batayogera nga boogera, n’ababadde bakoozimbye nga bawonye, n’ababadde abalema nga batambula, n’ababadde abazibe b’amaaso nga balaba. Ne bagulumiza Katonda wa Isirayiri.

32 (S)Awo Yesu n’ayita abayigirizwa be n’abagamba nti, “Abantu bano mbasaasira, kubanga baakamala nange ennaku ssatu ate tebalina kyakulya. Ssaagala kubasiibula ne bagenda enjala, si kulwa nga bagwa ku kkubo.”

33 Abayigirizwa ne bamugamba nti, “Wano mu ddungu tunaggya wa emigaati emingi gye tunaaliisa abantu abangi bwe bati?”

34 Yesu n’ababuuza nti, “Mulinawo emigaati emeka?” Ne bamuddamu nti, “Tulinawo emigaati musanvu n’ebyennyanja bitono.”

35 Yesu n’alagira abantu bonna batuule wansi, 36 (T)n’addira emigaati omusanvu n’ebyennyanja, bwe yamala okwebaza, n’abimenyaamenyamu, n’awa abayigirizwa be ne batandika okugabula ekibiina. 37 (U)Buli muntu n’alya n’akkuta. Ne babukuŋŋaanya obutundutundu obwasigalawo ne bujjuza ebisero musanvu. 38 Abaalya baawera abasajja enkumi nnya nga totaddeeko bakazi na baana. 39 Awo Yesu n’asiibula ekibiina, n’asaabala mu lyato n’agenda mu nsalo y’e Magadani.

Tradition and Commandment

15 Then some Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said, “Why do Your disciples violate the [a]tradition (religious laws) handed down by the [Jewish] elders? For Your disciples do not [ceremonially] wash their hands before they eat.” He replied to them, “Why also do you violate the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition [handed down by the elders]? For God said [through Moses], Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of or insults or treats improperly father or mother is to be put to death.’(A) But you say, ‘If anyone says to his father or mother, “Whatever [money or resource that] I have that would help you is [already dedicated and] given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother [by helping them with their need].’ So by this you have invalidated the word of God [depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect] for the sake of your tradition [handed down by the elders]. You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders), rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said,


This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.

But in vain do they worship Me,
For they teach as doctrines the precepts of men.’”(B)

10 After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said, “Listen and understand this: 11 It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that defiles and dishonors him, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles and dishonors him.”

12 Then the disciples came and said to Jesus, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard you say this?” 13 He answered, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be torn up by the roots.(C) 14 Leave them alone; they are blind guides [b][leading blind followers]. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

The Heart of Man

15 Peter asked Him, “Explain this parable [about what defiles a person] to us.” 16 And He said, “Are you still so dull [and unable to put things together]? 17 Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? 18 But whatever [word] comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defiles and dishonors the man. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts and plans, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slanders (verbal abuse, irreverent speech, blaspheming). 20 These are the things which defile and dishonor the man; but eating with [ceremonially] unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

The Syrophoenician Woman

21 After leaving there, Jesus withdrew to the district of [c]Tyre and Sidon.(D) 22 And a [d]Canaanite woman from that district came out and began to cry out [urgently], saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David (Messiah); my daughter is cruelly possessed by a demon.” 23 But He did not say a word in answer to her. And His disciples came and asked Him [repeatedly], “Send her away, because she keeps shouting out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was commissioned by God and sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and began to kneel down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 And He replied, “It is not good (appropriate, fair) to take the [e]children’s bread and throw it to the [f]pet dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord; but even the pet dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their [young] masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in My power] is great; it will be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that moment.

Healing Crowds

29 Jesus went on from there and passed along by [the eastern shore of] the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on the hillside and was sitting there. 30 And great crowds came to Him, bringing with them the lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they put them down at His feet; and He healed them. 31 So the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they praised and glorified the God of Israel.

Four Thousand Fed

32 Then Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, “I feel compassion for the crowd, because they have been with Me now three days and have nothing [left] to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, because they might faint [from exhaustion] on the way [home].”(E) 33 The disciples said to Him, “Where are we to get enough bread in this isolated place to feed so large a crowd?” 34 And Jesus asked them, “How many loaves [of bread] do you have?” They replied, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 He directed the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and when He had given thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples [gave them] to the people. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied, and they gathered up seven full baskets of the broken pieces that were left over. 38 [Among] those who ate were 4,000 men, not counting women and children.

39 Then Jesus sent the crowds away, got into the boat and went to the district of [g]Magadan.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 15:2 I.e. the oral commentary on the Law, later codified as the Mishnah.
  2. Matthew 15:14 Later mss add of the blind.
  3. Matthew 15:21 Tyre and Sidon were located along the Gentile coastal region of Phoenicia. Tyre was 35 miles and Sidon 60 miles north of Galilee.
  4. Matthew 15:22 The Canaanites were ancient, pagan enemies of Israel.
  5. Matthew 15:26 A reference to the Jewish people.
  6. Matthew 15:26 Jews used kuon (dog) as a derogatory term referring to Gentiles. This dog (kuon) was a despised, filthy, homeless street scavenger. When speaking with this woman, Jesus uses a word for “dog” (kunarion) that refers to a household pet. The use of the word kunariois by both Jesus and the woman reflects the tenderness and spiritual depth of this exchange. More importantly, it foreshadows the fact that Gentile believers would not be spiritually homeless, but would also be welcomed into God’s household as His children. The gracious response of the woman recorded in v 27 confirms that on some level she understands this.
  7. Matthew 15:39 A small town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, between Tiberias and Capernaum.