10 After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand! 11 (A)It is not what enters the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person.”

12 Then the disciples came and *said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were [a]offended when they heard this statement?” 13 But He answered and said, (B)Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14 Leave them alone; (C)they are blind guides [b]of blind people. And (D)if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.”

The Heart of Man

15 Peter [c]said to Him, “(E)Explain the parable to us.” 16 [d]Jesus said, “Are you also still lacking in understanding? 17 Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is [e]eliminated? 18 But (F)the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and those things defile the person. 19 (G)For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, acts of adultery, other immoral sexual acts, thefts, false testimonies, and [f]slanderous statements. 20 These are the things that defile the person; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the person.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 15:12 Lit caused to stumble
  2. Matthew 15:14 Later mss add of blind people
  3. Matthew 15:15 Lit answering, said
  4. Matthew 15:16 Lit and He
  5. Matthew 15:17 Lit thrown out into the latrine
  6. Matthew 15:19 Or abusive speech

10 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 11 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”

13 Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, 14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”

15 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”

16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. 17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”

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