Matthew 15

1 Then Separators and scholars came to Joshua from Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Why do Your apprentices disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat bread.”

3 He answered them, “Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever tells his father or his mother, “Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God” 6 doesn’t need to honor his father or mother.’ You have revoked God's commandment by your tradition! 7 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied about you correctly, saying,

10 He summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear, and understand. 11 That which enters into the mouth doesn’t make the person unholy; but that which comes out of the mouth, this makes the person unholy.”

12 Then the apprentices came, and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

13 But He answered, “Every plant which My heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted. 14 Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

15 Peter answered Him, “Explain the riddle to us.”

16 So Joshua said,“Do you also still not understand? 17 Don’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled into the toilet? 18 But the things which come out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they make the person unholy. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies. 20 These are the things which make a person unholy; but eating with unwashed hands doesn’t make the person unholy.”

21 Joshua went out from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 Look, a Canaanite woman came from those borders, and cried, saying, “Have mercy on me, Master, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed!”

23 But he answered her not a word.

His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away; for she cries after us.”

24 But He answered, “I wasn’t sent to anyone except the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25 But she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Master, help me!”

26 But He answered, “It is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

27 But she said, “Yes, Master, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

28 Then Joshua answered her, “Woman, your faith is great! Let it be done to you even as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

29 Joshua departed from there, and came near to the Sea of Galilee; and He went up into the mountain, and sat there. 30 Large crowds came to Him, having with them people who were lame, blind, unable to speak, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at His feet, and He healed them. 31 So the crowd was amazed when they saw those unable to speak speaking, the injured healed, the lame walking, and the blind seeing—and they glorified the God of Israel.

32 Joshua summoned His apprentices and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have continued with Me for three days now and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they might faint on the way.”

33 The apprentices said to Him, “Where would we get so many loaves in an uninhabited place in order to feed such a large crowd?”

34 Joshua said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”

They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”

35 He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground; 36 and He took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the apprentices, and the apprentices gave them to the crowd. 37 They all ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over. 38 Those who ate were 4,000 men, in addition to women and children. 39 Then He sent away the crowds, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magdala.