NEVER A MAN LIKE HIM
Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes,
which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of his disciples eat
bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found
fault. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their
hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they
come from the market, except they wash, they eat not, and many other
things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of
cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.) Then the Pharisees and
scribes asked him:
"Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders,
but eat bread with unwashen hands?"
He answered and said unto them:
"Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This
people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men.' For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold
the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups; and many other
such like things ye do."
And he said unto them:
"Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own
tradition. For Moses said: 'Honour thy father and thy mother'; and,
'Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:' but ye say,
'If a man shall say to his father or mother, "It is Corban," (that is
to say, a gift,) by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he
shall be free.' And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father
or his mother; making the word of God of none effect through your
tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye."
And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them:
"Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: there is nothing
from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the
things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If
any man have ears to hear, let him hear."
And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples
asked him concerning the parable. And he saith unto them:
"Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that
whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile
him; because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and
goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?" And he said, "That
which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within,
out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries,
fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit,
lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these
evil things come from within, and defile the man."
And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon,
and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could
not be hid. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean
spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: the woman was a
Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would
cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her:
"Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the
children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs."
And she answered and said unto him:
"Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs."
And he said unto her, "For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone
out of thy daughter." And when she was come to her house, she found
the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto
the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And
they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his
speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him
aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he
spit, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and
saith unto him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."
And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was
loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell
no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal
they published it; and were beyond measure astonished, saying:
"He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the
dumb to speak."