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

¹ Then certain scribes and Pharisees of Jerusalem came unto Jesus, saying, ² Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.

³ But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? ⁴ For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother, and, He that curses father or mother, let him die without recourse.

⁵ But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, Whatever I might have helped thee with is already my offering unto God, ⁶ and now has no need to honour his father or his mother with succour. Thus ye have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. ⁷ Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

⁸ This people draws nigh unto me with their mouth and honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. ⁹ But in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men.

¹ Then came together unto him the Pharisees and some of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, ² who upon seeing some of his disciples eat bread with common, that is to say, with unwashed, hands, they condemned them. ³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands often, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. ⁴ And when they come from the market, unless they wash, they eat not. And there are many other things which they took upon themselves to hold such as the washing of cups and pots, brasen vessels and of tables.) ⁵ Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why do thy disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders but eat bread with unwashed hands?

⁶ He answered and said unto them, Well has Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. ⁷ Howbeit in vain do they honor me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men as the washing of pots and cups, and many other such like things ye do. ⁹ And he also said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. ¹⁰ For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother, and, Whosoever curses father or mother shall most definitely die.

¹¹ But ye say, It is enough if a man shall say to his father or mother, It is all Corban, (that is to say, my gift to God) whatever with which thou mightest be profited by me. ¹² And ye suffer him to do no more for his father or for his mother, ¹³ invalidating the word of God with your tradition, which ye have given; and many such like things do ye.