Matthew 15

Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

1Some teachers of God's law came to Jesus from the city of Jerusalem. They asked him a question.

2Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

2They said, "Why do your followers break the old rules our leaders taught? They do not wash their hands before they eat."

3But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

3Jesus answered, "And why do you break God's command so you can keep your own rules?

4For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

4God said, 'Treat your father and mother well.' God also said, 'Anyone who says bad words against his father or mother must be put to death.'

5But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

5But you teach something else. You say a person can tell his father or mother, 'What I could have given you is now a gift for God.'

NoteA "gift" here means money or help promised to God instead of to your parents. Some teachers said this let a person stop caring for his parents.

6And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

6Then he does not have to help his father or mother at all. So your own rules push God's word aside.

7Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

7You are pretending to be good. Isaiah was right when he spoke God's message about you. He said:

8This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

8'These people say kind words about me with their mouths. But their hearts are far away from me.

9But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

9Their worship means nothing. They teach rules made by people as if God said them.'"

10And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:

10Jesus called the crowd to come near. He said, "Listen to me, and understand this.

11Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

11Food that goes into your mouth does not make you dirty inside. What comes out of your mouth is what makes you dirty inside."

Note"Dirty inside" means not clean in God's eyes. It is not about dirt on your body.

12Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

12Then his followers came to him. They said, "Do you know the leaders were upset when they heard that?"

13But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

13Jesus answered, "My Father in heaven planted some plants. Every plant he did not plant will be pulled up by the roots.

14Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

14Leave those leaders alone. They are blind, and they lead blind people. When a blind man leads a blind man, both fall into a hole."

15Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.

15Then Peter said to him, "Please explain that word picture to us."

16And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?

16Jesus said, "Do you still not understand it either?

17Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

17Don't you see? Food goes in your mouth and down to your stomach. Then it leaves your body.

18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

18But words come out of your mouth from your heart. Those are the things that make you dirty inside.

19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

19Bad thoughts come out of the heart. So do killing, cheating on a husband or wife, wrong sex, stealing, lying about others, and hurtful talk.

20These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

20Those are the things that make a person dirty inside. Eating with unwashed hands does not."

21Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

21Then Jesus left that place. He went to the land near the towns of Tyre and Sidon.

22And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

22A woman from Canaan lived in that area. She came and called out, "Sir, Son of David, please help me! An evil spirit is hurting my daughter badly."

Note"Son of David" was a name for the promised king God said would come from King David's family.

23But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

23Jesus did not answer her at all. His followers came and begged him, "Send her away. She keeps calling out behind us."

24But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

24Jesus answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel, God's people."

25Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

25Then the woman came and knelt down in front of him. She said, "Sir, help me!"

26But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.

26Jesus answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

27And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.

27She said, "That is true, sir. But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their owner's table."

28Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

28Jesus said, "Woman, you trust me so much! What you want will be done." Her daughter got well at that very moment.

29And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.

29Jesus left that place and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. He went up a mountain and sat down there.

30And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:

30Big crowds came to him. They brought people who could not walk, see, speak, or use their bodies. They laid them at his feet, and he made them well.

31Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

31The crowd was amazed at what they saw. People who could not speak now talked. Hurt bodies were made strong. People who could not walk now walked. Blind people could see. And the crowd praised the God of Israel.

32Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.

32Then Jesus called his followers to him. He said, "I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days and have no food. I will not send them home hungry. They might faint on the way."

33And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?

33His followers said to him, "We are far from any town. Where can we get enough bread for such a big crowd?"

34And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.

34Jesus asked them, "How many loaves of bread do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

35And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

35Then he told the crowd to sit down on the ground.

36And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

36He took the seven loaves and the fish and thanked God for them. He broke them into pieces. He gave them to his followers, and they gave them to the people.

37And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

37Everyone ate until they had enough. Then the followers picked up the leftover pieces. They filled seven baskets.

38And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.

38Four thousand men ate that day. Women and children ate too.

39And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.

39Then Jesus said goodbye to the crowd. He got into a boat and went to the area of Magdala.