Matthew 15:10-20 - Defilement From Within

¹⁰ And having called in the multitude, he said to them, Hear and understand. ¹¹ Not that which enters into the mouth defiles the man, but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles the man.

¹² Then having come near, his disciples said to him, Know thou that the Pharisees were offended when they heard the saying?

¹³ But having answered, he said, Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant, will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Leave them. They are blind leaders of blind men, and if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a ditch.

¹⁵ And having answered, Peter said to him, Explain this parable to us.

¹⁶ And Jesus said, Are ye also still without understanding? ¹⁷ Do ye not yet understand, that everything entering into the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into a toilet? ¹⁸ But the things coming out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and those things defile the man. ¹⁹ For from the heart comes forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, FALSE witnessings, revilings. ²⁰ These are things defiling the man. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.

¹⁴ And having summoned all the people, he said to them, Hear me all of you, and understand. ¹⁵ There is nothing outside the man, entering into him that can defile him, but the things coming out of him those are the things that defile the man. ¹⁶ If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁷ And when he entered into a house from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about the parable. ¹⁸ And he says to them, Are also ye so without understanding? Do ye not perceive that everything outside that enters into the man cannot defile him, ¹⁹ because it does not enter into his heart, but into the belly, and goes out into the toilet (making all foods clean)? ²⁰ And he said, That which comes out of the man, that defiles the man. ²¹ For from inside the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, ²² covetings, wickednesses, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, reviling, pride, foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from inside, and defile the man.