Chapter 15

  Then came to him from Jerusalem scribes and Pharisees, saying:  

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  Why do thy disciples trangress the tradition of the ancients? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread.  

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  But he answering, said to them: Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for your tradition? For God said:  

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  Honour thy father and mother: And: He that shall curse father or mother, let him die the death.  

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  But you say: Whosoever shall say to father or mother, The gift whatsoever proceedeth from me, shall profit thee.  

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  And he shall not honour his father or his mother: and you have made void the commandment of God for your tradition.  

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  Hypocrites, well hath Isaias prophesied of you, saying:  

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  This people honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me.  

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  And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men.  

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  And having called together the multitudes unto him, he said to them: Hear ye and understand.  

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  Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man: but what cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.  

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  Then came his disciples, and said to him: Dost thou know that the Pharisees, when they heard this word, were scandalized?  

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  But he answering them, said: Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.  

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  Let them alone: they are blind, and leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit.  

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  And Peter answering, said to him: Expound to us this parable.  

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  But he said: Are you also yet without understanding?  

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  Do you not understand, that whatsoever entereth into the mouth, goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the privy?  

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  But the things which proceed out of the mouth, come forth from the heart, and those things defile a man.  

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  For from the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies.  

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  These are the things that defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands doth not defile a man.  

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  And Jesus went from thence, and retired into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.  

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  And behold a woman of Canaan who came out of those coasts, crying out, said to him: Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David: my daughter is grieviously troubled by the devil.  

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  Who answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying: Send her away, for she crieth after us:  

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  And he answering, said: I was not sent but to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel.  

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  But she came and adored him, saying: Lord, help me.  

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  Who answering, said: It is not good to take the bread of the children, and to cast it to the dogs.  

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  But she said: Yea, Lord; for the whelps also eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters.  

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  Then Jesus answering, said to her: O woman, great is thy faith: be it done to thee as thou wilt: and her daughter was cured from that hour.  

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  And when Jesus had passed away from thence, he came nigh the sea of Galilee. And going up into a mountain, he sat there.  

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  And there came to him great multitudes, having with them the dumb, the blind, the lame, the maimed, and many others: and they cast them down at his feet, and he healed them:  

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  So that the multitudes marvelled seeing the dumb speak, the lame walk, and the blind see: and they glorified the God of Israel.  

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  And Jesus called together his disciples, and said: I have compassion on the multitudes, because they continue with me now three days, and have not what to eat, and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.  

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  And the disciples say unto him: Whence then should we have so many loaves in the desert, as to fill so great a multitude?  

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  And Jesus said to them: How many loaves have you? But they said: Seven, and a few little fishes.  

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  And he commanded the multitude to sit down upon the ground.  

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  And taking the seven loaves and the fishes, and giving thanks, he brake, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the people.  

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  And they did all eat, and had their fill. And they took up seven baskets full, of what remained of the fragments.  

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  And they that did eat, were four thousand men, beside children and women.  

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  And having dismissed the multitude, he went up into a boat, and came into the coasts of Magedan.  

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