Study Desk

Summoning^(ab) the crowd again, He told them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:^(ac)

Nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.

[If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!]" ^[h]

When He went into the house away from the crowd, the disciples asked Him about the parable.

And He said to them, "Are you also as lacking in understanding? Don't you realize that nothing going into a man from the outside can defile him?

For it doesn't go into his heart but into the stomach^(ad) and is eliminated." ^[i] (As a result, He made all foods clean.^[j](ae))

Then He said, "What comes out of a person—that defiles him.

For from within, out of people's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities,^(af) thefts, murders,^(ag)

adulteries,^(ah) greed,^(ai) evil actions, deceit,^(aj) promiscuity,^(ak) stinginess,^[k] blasphemy,^(al) pride,^(am) and foolishness.^(an)

All these evil things come from within and defile a person."

He got up and departed from^(ao) there to the region of Tyre^(ap) and Sidon.^[l](aq) He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it, but He could not escape notice.

Instead, immediately after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit^(ar) came and fell at His feet.^(as)

Now the woman was Greek,^(at) a Syrophoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to drive the demon^(au) out of her daughter.

He said to her, "Allow the children to be satisfied first, because it isn't right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." ^(av)

But she replied to Him, "Lord,^(aw) even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."

Then He told her, "Because of this reply, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter."

When she went back to her home, she found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

Again, leaving the region of Tyre,^(ax) He went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,^(ay) through^[m] the region of the Decapolis.^(az)

They brought to Him a deaf^(ba) man who also had a speech difficulty,^(bb) and begged Jesus to lay His hand on^(bc) him.

So He took him away from the crowd privately. After putting His fingers in the man's ears and spitting,^(bd) He touched his tongue.

Then, looking up to heaven,^(be) He sighed deeply and said to him, "Ephphatha!" ^[n] (that is, "Be opened!" ).

Immediately his ears were opened,^(bf) his speech difficulty was removed,^[o] and he began to speak clearly.^(bg)

Then He ordered them to tell no one,^(bh) but the more He would order them, the more they would proclaim^(bi) it.

They were extremely astonished and said, "He has done everything well!^(bj) He even makes deaf^(bk) people hear, and people unable to speak,^(bl) talk!"