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

¹ Then some Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked, ² "Why do your disciples disregard the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands when they eat."

³ But he answered them, "Why do you also disregard the commandment of God because of your tradition? ⁴ Because God said, "You are to honor your father and your mother,' and, "Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.'

⁵ But you say, "Whoever tells his father or his mother, "Whatever support you might have received from me has been given to God," ⁶ does not have to honor his father.' Because of your tradition, then, you have disregarded the authority of God's word. ⁷ You hypocrites! How well did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said,

⁸ "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. ⁹ Their worship of me is empty, because they teach human rules as doctrines.'"

¹ The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. ² They noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. ³ (The Pharisees and indeed all the Jewish people don't eat unless they wash their hands properly, following the tradition of their elders. ⁴ They don't eat anything from the marketplace unless they dip it in water. They also observe many other traditions, such as the proper washing of washing cups, jars, brass pots, and dinner tables.) ⁵ So the Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with unclean hands."

⁶ He told them, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites. As it is written, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. ⁷ Their worship of me is worthless, because they teach human rules as doctrines.'

⁸ You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." ⁹ Then he told them, "You have such a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your own tradition! ¹⁰ Because Moses said, "Honor your father and your mother,' and, "Whoever curses his father or mother must certainly be put to death.'

¹¹ But you say, "If anyone tells his father or mother, "Whatever support you might have received from me is Corban,"' (that is, an offering to God) ¹² "you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.' ¹³ You are destroying the word of God through your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other things like that."