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Matthew 15-17
English Standard Version
Matthew 15-17
English Standard Version
Traditions and Commandments
15 (A)Then Pharisees and (B)scribes came to Jesus (C)from Jerusalem and said, 2 (D)“Why do your disciples break (E)the tradition of the elders? (F)For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, (G)‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, (H)‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,”[a] 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have (I)made void the word[b] of God. 7 (J)You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
8 (K)“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9 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)Be it 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.
The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs
16 (BC)And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and (BD)to test him (BE)they asked him to show them (BF)a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them,[f] (BG)“When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ (BH)You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret (BI)the signs of the times. 4 (BJ)An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So (BK)he left them and departed.
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and (BL)beware of (BM)the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8 But (BN)Jesus, aware of this, said, (BO)“O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 (BP)Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember (BQ)the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or (BR)the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? (BS)Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 (BT)Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of (BU)the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
13 (BV)Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say (BW)John the Baptist, others say (BX)Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, (BY)“You are (BZ)the Christ, (CA)the Son of (CB)the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, (CC)“Blessed are you, (CD)Simon Bar-Jonah! For (CE)flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, (CF)but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, (CG)you are Peter, and (CH)on this rock[g] I will build my church, and (CI)the gates of (CJ)hell[h] shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you (CK)the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and (CL)whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[i] in heaven.” 20 (CM)Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
21 (CN)From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that (CO)he must go to Jerusalem and (CP)suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on (CQ)the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord![j] This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, (CR)“Get behind me, Satan! You are (CS)a hindrance[k] to me. For you (CT)are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him (CU)deny himself and (CV)take up his cross and follow me. 25 For (CW)whoever would save his life[l] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For (CX)what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or (CY)what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 (CZ)For the Son of Man is going to come with (DA)his angels in the glory of his Father, and (DB)then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not (DC)taste death (DD)until they see the Son of Man (DE)coming in his kingdom.”
The Transfiguration
17 (DF)And after six days Jesus took with him (DG)Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was (DH)transfigured before them, and (DI)his face shone like the sun, and (DJ)his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for (DK)Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, (DL)a bright cloud overshadowed them, and (DM)a voice from the cloud said, (DN)“This is my beloved Son,[m] with whom I am well pleased; (DO)listen to him.” 6 When (DP)the disciples heard this, (DQ)they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and (DR)touched them, saying, “Rise, and (DS)have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 (DT)And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, (DU)“Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say (DV)that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and (DW)he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but (DX)did to him whatever they pleased. (DY)So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 (DZ)Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon
14 (EA)And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has (EB)seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and (EC)they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and (ED)twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? (EE)How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus (EF)rebuked the demon,[n] and it[o] came out of him, and (EG)the boy was healed instantly.[p] 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, (EH)“Because of your little faith. For (EI)truly, I say to you, (EJ)if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, (EK)you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and (EL)nothing will be impossible for you.”[q]
Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection
22 (EM)As they were gathering[r] in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on (EN)the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.
The Temple Tax
24 (EO)When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of (EP)the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, (EQ)“What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or (ER)tax? From their sons or from others?” 26 And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel.[s] Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 15:5 Or is an offering
- Matthew 15:6 Some manuscripts law
- Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts add of the blind
- Matthew 15:17 Greek is expelled into the latrine
- Matthew 15:28 Greek from that hour
- Matthew 16:2 Some manuscripts omit the following words to the end of verse 3
- Matthew 16:18 The Greek words for Peter and rock sound similar
- Matthew 16:18 Greek the gates of Hades
- Matthew 16:19 Or shall have been bound… shall have been loosed
- Matthew 16:22 Or “[May God be] merciful to you, Lord!”
- Matthew 16:23 Greek stumbling block
- Matthew 16:25 The same Greek word can mean either soul or life, depending on the context; twice in this verse and twice in verse 26
- Matthew 17:5 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved
- Matthew 17:18 Greek it
- Matthew 17:18 Greek the demon
- Matthew 17:18 Greek from that hour
- Matthew 17:20 Some manuscripts insert verse 21: But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting
- Matthew 17:22 Some manuscripts remained
- Matthew 17:27 Greek stater, a silver coin worth four drachmas or approximately one shekel
Matthew 15-17
New International Version
Matthew 15-17
New International Version
That Which Defiles(A)
15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”(B)
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’[a](C) and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[b](D) 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.(E)’[c](F)”
10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them,(G) but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”(H)
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(I) will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides.[d](J) If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”(K)
15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”(L)
16 “Are you still so dull?”(M) 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,(N) and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.(O) 20 These are what defile a person;(P) but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman(Q)
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.(R) 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,(S) have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”(T)
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”(U)
25 The woman came and knelt before him.(V) “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!(W) Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand(X)(Y)(Z)
29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.(AA) 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.(AB)
32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people;(AC) they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them(AD) and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.(AE) 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
The Demand for a Sign(AF)
16 The Pharisees and Sadducees(AG) came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.(AH)
2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.[e](AI) 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”(AJ) Jesus then left them and went away.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”(AK)
7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”
8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith,(AL) why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?(AM) 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?(AN) 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.(AO)
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah(AP)
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;(AQ) others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”(AR)
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”(AS)
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,(AT) but by my Father in heaven.(AU) 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[f](AV) and on this rock I will build my church,(AW) and the gates of Hades[g] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys(AX) of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[h] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[i] loosed in heaven.”(AY) 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone(AZ) that he was the Messiah.
Jesus Predicts His Death(BA)
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem(BB) and suffer many things(BC) at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,(BD) and that he must be killed(BE) and on the third day(BF) be raised to life.(BG)
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!(BH) You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.(BI) 25 For whoever wants to save their life[j] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.(BJ) 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man(BK) is going to come(BL) in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.(BM)
28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
The Transfiguration(BN)(BO)
17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John(BP) the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.(BQ) Listen to him!”(BR)
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”(BS) 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone(BT) what you have seen, until the Son of Man(BU) has been raised from the dead.”(BV)
10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.(BW) 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come,(BX) and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished.(BY) In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer(BZ) at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.(CA)
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy(CB)
14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures(CC) and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith(CD) as small as a mustard seed,(CE) you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.(CF) Nothing will be impossible for you.” [21] [k]
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man(CG) is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him,(CH) and on the third day(CI) he will be raised to life.”(CJ) And the disciples were filled with grief.
The Temple Tax
24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax(CK) came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”
25 “Yes, he does,” he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes(CL)—from their own children or from others?”
26 “From others,” Peter answered.
“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not cause offense,(CM) go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
- Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9
- Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13
- Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts blind guides of the blind
- Matthew 16:3 Some early manuscripts do not have When evening comes … of the times.
- Matthew 16:18 The Greek word for Peter means rock.
- Matthew 16:18 That is, the realm of the dead
- Matthew 16:19 Or will have been
- Matthew 16:19 Or will have been
- Matthew 16:25 The Greek word means either life or soul; also in verse 26.
- Matthew 17:21 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Mark 9:29.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.