Chapter 15

  Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, who were of Jerusalem, saying,  

--

  Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.  

--

  But he answered and said to them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?  

--

  For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.  

--

  But ye say, Whoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatever thou mightest be profited by me;  

--

  And honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.  

--

  Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,  

--

  This people draw nigh to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.  

--

  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.  

--

  And he called the multitude, and said to them, Hear, and understand:  

--

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

--

  Then came his disciples, and said to him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying?  

--

  But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be extirpated.  

--

  Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leadeth the blind, both will fall into the ditch.  

--

  Then answered Peter and said to him, Declare to us this parable.  

--

  And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?  

--

  Do ye not yet understand, that whatever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?  

--

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

--

  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:  

--

  These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.  

--

  Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the territories of Tyre and Sidon.  

--

  And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same territories, and cried to him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously afflicted with a demon.  

--

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

--

  But he answered and said, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  

--

  Then came she and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me.  

--

  But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.  

--

  And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crums which fall from their master's table.  

--

  Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it to thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was healed from that very hour.  

--

  And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh to the sea of Galilee; and ascended a mountain, and sat down there.  

--

  And great multitudes came to him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:  

--

  So that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.  

--

  Then Jesus called his disciples to him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.  

--

  And his disciples say to him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to satisfy so great a multitude?  

--

  And Jesus saith to them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.  

--

  And he commanded the multitude to sit on the ground.  

--

  And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and broke them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.  

--

  And they all ate and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that were left seven baskets full.  

--

  And they that had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children.  

--

  And he sent away the multitude, and took a boat, and came into the borders of Magdala.  

--