Matthew 15:1-9 - Human Traditions And God's Commandments

¹ Then the scribes and Pharisees, who are from Jerusalem, come to Jesus, saying, ² Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.

³ And responding He said to them; Wherefore do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? ⁴ For God commanded saying, Honor thy father and mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die with death.

⁵ But you say, Whosoever may say to father or mother, It is a gift, whatsoever you may be profited by me; and he shall no longer honor his father or his mother. ⁶ You made void the commandment of God by your tradition. ⁷ Ye hypocrites, beautifully did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, saying,

⁸ This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. ⁹ But in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

¹ And the Pharisees and certain ones of the scribes, having come from Jerusalem, gather to Him. ² And seeing certain ones of His disciples eating bread with defiled, that is, unwashed hands. ³ For the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they diligently wash their hands, do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders. ⁴ And from the forum, unless they may baptize themselves, they do not eat: and many other things which they have received to hold, the baptism of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, and couches. ⁵ Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, Wherefore do not thy disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders: but they eat bread with unwashed hands?

⁶ And responding He said to them, Beautifully did Isaiah prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as has been written, This people honor me with lips, but their heart is far from me. ⁷ In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

⁸ For having left the commandment of God, you are holding the tradition of men. ⁹ And He said to them, Truly, you make void the commandment of God, that you may hold your own tradition. ¹⁰ For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and let the one speaking evil of father and mother die the death.

¹¹ But you say, If a man may say to father or mother, Corban, that is a gift, whatsoever you may be profited by me; ¹² and you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother; ¹³ making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have given: and you do many such similar things.