New Testament in a Year

Chapter 7

Traditions That Falsify the Law of God.^{[a] 1} When the Pharisees, along with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around Jesus, ² they noted that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. ³ For the Pharisees, and in fact all Jews, do not eat without thoroughly washing their hands, thereby observing the tradition of the elders. ⁴ And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without first washing. In addition, there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and jugs and bronze kettles and tables.^[b]

⁵ Therefore, the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but eat with unclean hands?” ⁶ He answered, “How rightly Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites, as it is written:

⁸ You thrust aside the commandment of God in order to preserve the traditions of men.”^[c]

⁹ Then he said to them, “How cleverly you have set aside the commandment of God to preserve your own tradition! ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother will be put to death.’ ¹¹ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or mother: “Anything I might have used for your support is Corban” ’^[d] (that is, dedicated to God), ¹² then he is forbidden by you from that very moment to do anything for his father or mother. ¹³ You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other things just like that.”