Tradition vs. Commandment — What Defiles

¹Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees who were of Jerusalem, saying, ²Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. ³But he answered and said unto them, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? ⁴For God commanded, saying, Honor your father and mother, and he that curses father or mother, let him die the death which Moses shall appoint. ⁵But you say, Whoever shall say to father or mother, By whatever you might be profited by me, it is a gift from me — ⁶and honor not his father or his mother — it is well. Thus have you made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. ⁷O you hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, ⁸This people draw near to me with their mouth and honor me with lips, but their heart is far from me. ⁹But in vain do they worship me, teaching the doctrines and the commandments of men.

¹⁰And he called the multitude and said unto them, Hear, and understand: ¹¹not that which goes into the mouth defiles the man, but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles the man. ¹²Then came his disciples and said unto him, Do you know that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying? ¹³But he answered and said, Every plant which my Heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up. ¹⁴Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind, and if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

¹⁵Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. ¹⁶And Jesus said, Are you also yet without understanding? ¹⁷Do you not yet understand that whatever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly and is cast into the waste? ¹⁸But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man; ¹⁹for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adultery, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies — ²⁰these are things which defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands defiles not a man.

¹Then came together unto him the Pharisees and certain of the scribes, who came from Jerusalem. ²And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled (that is to say, with unwashed) hands, they found fault; ³for the Pharisees and all the Jews, except they wash hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. ⁴And when they come from the market, except they wash their bodies, they eat not. And many other things there are which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups and pots, brazen vessels, and of dining couches. ⁵And the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why do your disciples not walk according to the traditions of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?

⁶He answered and said unto them, Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; ⁷nevertheless, in vain do they worship me, teaching the doctrines and commandments of men. ⁸For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men — the washing of pots and of cups, and many other such like things you do. ⁹And he said unto them, Yea, altogether you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own traditions. Full well is it written of you by the prophets whom you have rejected. They testified these things truly and their blood shall be upon you.

¹⁰You have kept not the ordinances of God; for Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and whoever curses father or mother, let him die the death of the transgressor, as it is written in your law. But you keep not the law. ¹¹You say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, Corban (that is to say, a gift by whatsoever you might be profited by me), he is of age, ¹²and you suffer him no more to do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have delivered. And many such things do you.

¹⁴And when he had called all the people, he said unto them, Listen unto me, everyone, and understand. ¹⁵There is nothing from outside that, entering into a man, can defile him (which is food). But the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man; that proceeds forth out of the heart. ¹⁶If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁷And when he had entered into the house from among the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. ¹⁸And he said unto them, Are you without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever thing from outside enters into the man cannot defile him? ¹⁹Because it enters not into his heart but into the belly, and goes out into the waste, purging all foods. ²⁰And he said, That which comes out of the man defiles the man; ²¹for from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, ²²covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. ²³All these evil things come from within and defile the man.