¹⁴ Summoning^(A) the crowd again, He told them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:^{(B) 15} Nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him. [¹⁶ If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!]”^[a]

¹⁷ When He went into the house away from the crowd, the disciples asked Him about the parable. ¹⁸ And He said to them, “Are you also as lacking in understanding? Don’t you realize that nothing going into a man from the outside can defile him? ¹⁹ For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomach^(C) and is eliminated.”^[b] (As a result, He made all foods clean.^[c](D)) ²⁰ Then He said, “What comes out of a person—that defiles him. ²¹ For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities,^(E) thefts, murders,^{(F) 22} adulteries,^(G) greed,^(H) evil actions, deceit,^(I) promiscuity,^(J) stinginess,^[d] blasphemy,^(K) pride,^(L) and foolishness.^{(M) 23} All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”

A Gentile Mother’s Faith

²⁴ He got up and departed from^(N) there to the region of Tyre^(O) and Sidon.^[e](P) He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it, but He could not escape notice. ²⁵ Instead, immediately after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit^(Q) came and fell at His feet.^{(R) 26} Now the woman was Greek,^(S) a Syrophoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to drive the demon^(T) out of her daughter. ²⁷ He said to her, “Allow the children to be satisfied first, because it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”^(U)

²⁸ But she replied to Him, “Lord,^(V) even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

²⁹ Then He told her, “Because of this reply, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” ³⁰ When she went back to her home, she found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

Jesus Does Everything Well

³¹ Again, leaving the region of Tyre,^(W) He went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,^(X) through^[f] the region of the Decapolis.^{(Y) 32} They brought to Him a deaf^(Z) man who also had a speech difficulty,^(AA) and begged Jesus to lay His hand on^(AB) him. ³³ So He took him away from the crowd privately. After putting His fingers in the man’s ears and spitting,^(AC) He touched his tongue. ³⁴ Then, looking up to heaven,^(AD) He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!”^[g] (that is, “Be opened!”). ³⁵ Immediately his ears were opened,^(AE) his speech difficulty was removed,^[h] and he began to speak clearly.^{(AF) 36} Then He ordered them to tell no one,^(AG) but the more He would order them, the more they would proclaim^(AH) it.

³⁷ They were extremely astonished and said, “He has done everything well!^(AI) He even makes deaf^(AJ) people hear, and people unable to speak,^(AK) talk!”