1 The Pharisees and some experts in the law of Moses, who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around Jesus. 2 They had observed some of His disciples eating their food with contaminated, that is, [ceremonially] unwashed hands. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews would not eat anything unless they first scrubbed their hands [i.e., up to the wrists] in accordance with the [long-established] tradition of the Jewish elders). 4 And when they returned from the open shopping markets they refused to eat [anything] until they washed themselves [or "it," that is, the food, thoroughly]. There were also many other traditions which they [strictly] observed, like washing cups, pots and copper kettles [thoroughly].) [Note: The most accurate Greek manuscripts do not add "and beds" in this verse]. 5 The Pharisees and experts in the law of Moses asked Jesus, "Why do your disciples not live according to the traditions of the Jewish elders, but [instead] eat their food with contaminated [i.e., ceremonially unwashed] hands?"
6 And He answered them, "Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites very well when he wrote [Isa. 29:13], 'These people honor me with their lips [i.e., by what they say], but their heart is far from [honoring] me. 7 They are worshiping me for nothing because they are teaching principles which are [merely] the requirements of men.'
8 You disregard the commandment of God and [yet] hang onto the traditions of men." 9 And He said to them, "You are good at rejecting the commandment of God so you can keep your traditions. 10 For Moses said, [Ex. 20:12] 'Give honor to your father and mother,' and [Ex. 21:17 says], 'Whoever says bad things about his father or mother should surely be put to death.'
11 But when you people say, 'If someone says to his father or mother, [the money] I could have helped you with is Corban; in other words, [it is] given to God,' 12 you are not allowing him to do anything for his father or mother anymore. 13 You are making God's message useless by [enforcing] the tradition you have been following. And you do many things like that." 14 Then He called the crowd to Him again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand [what I am saying]. 15 There is nothing that enters a person's body from the outside that can [spiritually] corrupt him, but it is what proceeds out of a person's life that [spiritually] corrupts him." {{Verse 16 is absent from most ancient manuscripts}}.
17 And when He had gone into the house away from the crowd His disciples asked Him about this parable. 18 He said to them, "Are you also as lacking in understanding [as the others]? Do you not understand that whatever enters a person's body from the outside cannot [spiritually] corrupt him? 19 It is because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and [eventually] passes out into the toilet." By saying this He made all foods [ceremonially] acceptable. 20 And He said, "Whatever proceeds out of a man's life is what [spiritually] corrupts him. 21 For from within, out of people's hearts, proceed evil thoughts, sexual immorality, stealing, murder, extramarital affairs, 22 greedy desires, wickedness, deceit, unrestrained indecency, envy, slander, arrogance and foolishness. 23 All these evil things proceed from within [man's heart] and [spiritually] corrupt him."
24 And from there Jesus got up and went away into the region of Tyre and Sidon. He entered a house but did not want anyone to know it. However, He could not keep it secret. 25 But just then a woman whose little daughter was dominated by an evil spirit heard about Jesus and came and fell down at His feet. 26 Now the woman was a Greek [i.e., a Gentile], a Syrophoenician by nationality. [Note: This was a region just north of Galilee and consisted of Syria and Phoenicia]. She begged Him to drive out the evil spirit from her daughter. 27 So, He said to her, "Children should be the first ones to eat until they are full, for it is not proper to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."
28 But she answered Him, "Yes Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the crumbs dropped by the children."
29 And He said to her, "Because you have said this, go on your way; the evil spirit has left your daughter." 30 And she went away to her house and found her child lying on her bed with the evil spirit gone from her.
31 Again He left the region of Tyre and traveled [north] through Sidon, [then back south] to Lake Galilee, and through the middle of Decapolis. 32 And they brought to Him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and they begged Him to place His hand on him [for healing]. 33 So, Jesus took him away from the crowd by himself and put His fingers into the man's ears. Then He spit and touched the man's tongue [i.e., with His saliva] 34 and, looking up to heaven, He sighed and said, "Ephphatha," which means, "Be opened." 35 And [immediately] the man's hearing was restored, his speech impediment was removed and he began speaking clearly. 36 Then Jesus ordered the people [who witnessed the miracle] not to tell anyone [about it], but the more He urged them not to, the more widely they publicized it.
37 And they were utterly amazed, saying, "He has done everything just right; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."