Mark 7

Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

1The Pharisees came to Jesus. They were a group who kept religious rules very carefully. Some teachers of God's law came too, all the way from Jerusalem.

2And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

2They saw that some of Jesus' followers ate with hands that had not been washed. Their rules called such hands dirty. So they said this was wrong.

3For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

3The Pharisees and other Jewish people always wash their hands in a special way first. They do this because their old teachers taught them to.

4And 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.

4When they come home from the market, they wash before they eat. They keep many other old rules too. They wash cups, jugs, metal pots, and the couches they sit on to eat.

5Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

5So the Pharisees and teachers asked Jesus, "Why don't your followers keep the old rules? They eat with hands that are not washed."

6He 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.

6Jesus said, "Isaiah was right about you. He spoke God's words long ago. You act good on the outside only. He wrote, 'These people say nice words to me. But their hearts are far away from me.'"

7Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

7"They worship me, but it means nothing. They teach rules people made and call them God's rules."

8For 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.

8"You let go of what God commanded. Instead you hold tight to rules people made, like washing pots and cups. You do many other things like this."

9And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

9Jesus said, "You are very good at pushing God's command aside. You do it so you can keep your own rules."

10For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

10"Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother.' He also said, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.'"

11But 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.

11"But you say something different. A man may tell his father or mother, 'What I could have given you is Corban.' That means it is a gift promised to God."

Note"Corban" was a word that meant something was promised to God. Some people used it to say their money was set aside for God, so they did not have to use it to help their parents.

12And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

12"After that, you do not let him do anything at all to help his father or mother."

13Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

13"So the rules you pass down cancel what God said. And you do many things like this."

14And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

14Jesus called all the people to come near him. He said, "Every one of you, listen to me and understand."

15There 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.

15"Nothing that goes into a person from outside can make him dirty inside. What comes out of a person is what makes him dirty."

16If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

16"If you have ears that can hear, then listen."

ManuscriptsMost modern translations leave this verse out. It is in the Greek text the King James translators worked from, but not in the older manuscripts found since, so scholars generally take it as a copyist’s addition rather than part of the original.

17And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

17Jesus left the crowd and went into a house. His followers asked him about the word picture he had used.

18And 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;

18He said to them, "Don't you understand either? Nothing that goes into a person from outside can make him dirty inside."

19Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

19"It does not go into his heart. It goes into his stomach, and then out of his body." By saying this, Jesus showed that every kind of food is clean.

NoteThe KJV ends this verse with "purging all meats." In old English, "meat" meant food of any kind, not just meat from animals. Jesus is saying every kind of food is clean.

20And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

20Then he said, "What comes out of a person is what makes him dirty inside."

21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

21"Bad things start inside, in people's hearts. Out come evil thoughts. Out come broken marriage promises, other wrong sex acts, and killing."

22Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

22"Out come stealing, always wanting more, and doing harm. Out come lies that trick people, and wild acts with no self-control. Out come envy, insulting words, being proud, and acting foolish."

NoteThe KJV says "an evil eye," which in old English meant envy, being unhappy about what someone else has. "Blasphemy" here means insulting words spoken against God or against other people.

23All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

23"All these bad things start inside a person. They are what make a person dirty inside."

24And 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.

24Jesus left that place and went near the city of Tyre. He went into a house and did not want anyone to know. But people found out anyway.

25For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:

25A woman heard that he was there. Her little girl had an evil spirit in her. The woman came and knelt down at Jesus' feet.

26The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

26She was a Greek woman, born in the land called Syrophoenicia. She kept begging Jesus to send the evil spirit out of her daughter.

27But 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.

27Jesus said to her, "Let the children eat all they want first. It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

28And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.

28She answered, "Yes, Lord. But even the dogs under the table eat the crumbs the children drop."

29And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

29Jesus said to her, "Because you said that, you may go home. The evil spirit has left your daughter."

30And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

30She went home. She found her little girl lying on the bed. The evil spirit was gone.

31And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.

31Jesus left the area of Tyre. He went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee. He passed through an area called Decapolis, which means Ten Towns.

32And 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.

32Some people brought him a man who could not hear. The man could hardly talk. They begged Jesus to put his hand on him.

33And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;

33Jesus took the man away from the crowd, so they were alone. He put his fingers in the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue.

34And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

34Jesus looked up toward heaven and took a deep breath. He said to the man, "Ephphatha!" That word means "Be opened!"

35And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

35Right away the man could hear. His tongue was set free, and he could speak clearly.

36And 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;

36Jesus told the people not to tell anyone. But the more he told them that, the more they told everyone.

37And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

37The people were amazed beyond words. They said, "He does everything well. He makes deaf people hear and people who cannot speak talk."