Matthew — Chapter 15

Passage

Then came to him from Jerusalem scribes and Pharisees, saying: Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the ancients? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answering, said to them: Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for your tradition? For God said: Honor your father and mother: And: He that shall curse father or mother, let him die the death. But you say: Whoever shall say to father or mother, The gift whatsoever proceedeth from me, shall profit you. And he shall not honor his father or his mother: and you have made void the commandment of God for your tradition. Hypocrites, well has Isaiah prophesied of you, saying: This people honors me with their lips: but their heart is far from me. And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men. And having called together the crowds to him, he said to them: Hear you and understand. Not that which goes into the mouth defileth a man: but what comes out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Then came his disciples, and said to him: Do you know that the Pharisees, when they heard this word, were scandalized? But he answering, said: Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they are blind, and leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both fall into the pit. And Peter answering, said to him: Expound to us this parable. But he said: Are you also yet without understanding? Do you not understand, that whatsoever enters into the mouth, goes into the belly, and is cast out into the privy? But the things which proceed out of the mouth, come forth from the heart, and those things defile a man. For from the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man. And Jesus went from there, and retired into the coast of Tyre and Sidon. And see a woman of Canaan who came out of those coasts, crying out, said to him: Have mercy on me, O Lord, you son of David: my daughter is grievously troubled by a devil. Who answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying: Send her away, for she crieth after us: And he answering, said: I was not sent but to the sheep, that are lost of the house of Israel. But she came and adored him, saying: Lord, help me. Who answering, said: It is not good to take the bread of the children, and to cast it to the dogs. But she said: Yea, Lord; for the whelps also eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters. Then Jesus answering, said to her: O woman, great is your faith: be it done to you as you will: and her daughter was cured from that hour. And when Jesus had passed away from there, he came nigh the sea of Galilee: and going up into a mountain, he sat there. 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: So that the crowds marvelled seeing the dumb speak, the lame walk, the blind see: and they glorified the God of Israel. And Jesus called together his disciples, and said: I have compassion on the crowds, 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. And the disciples say to him: Where then should we have so many loaves in the desert, as to fill so great a crowd? And Jesus said to them: How many loaves have you? But they said: Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the crowd to sit down upon the ground. And taking the seven loaves and the fishes, and giving thanks, he brake, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples gave to the people. And they did all eat, and had their fill. And they took up seven baskets full, of what remained of the fragments. And they that did eat, were four thousand men, beside children and women. And having dismissed the crowd, he went up into a boat, and came into the coasts of Magedan.