Defilement Is from Within

10 Summoning the crowd, he told them, “Listen and understand: 11 It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles(A) a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.”(B)

12 Then the disciples came up and told him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?”

13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted.(C) 14 Leave them alone! They are blind guides.[a] And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”(D)

15 Then Peter said, “Explain this parable to us.”(E)

16 “Do you still lack understanding?” he[b] asked. 17 “Don’t you realize[c] that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated?[d] 18 But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person.(F) 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies,(G) slander.(H) 20 These are the things that defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”(I)

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Footnotes

  1. 15:14 Other mss add for the blind
  2. 15:16 Other mss read Jesus
  3. 15:17 Other mss add yet
  4. 15:17 Lit and goes out into the toilet

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

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(C) will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides.[a](D) If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”(E)

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

16 “Are you still so dull?”(G) 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,(H) and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.(I) 20 These are what defile a person;(J) but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts blind guides of the blind