Study Desk

The^(a) Pharisees^(b) and some of the scribes^(c) who had come from Jerusalem^(d) gathered around Him.

They observed that some of His disciples were eating their bread with unclean^(e)—that is, unwashed—hands.

(For the Pharisees, in fact all the Jews, will not eat unless they wash their hands ritually, keeping the tradition of the elders.

When they come from the marketplace,^(f) they do not eat unless they have washed.^(g) And there are many other customs they have received and keep, like the washing of cups, jugs, copper utensils, and dining couches.^[a](h))

Then the Pharisees⁽ⁱ⁾ and the scribes^(j) asked Him, "Why don't Your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders,^(k) instead of eating bread with ritually unclean^[b] hands?"

He answered them, "Isaiah^(l) prophesied^(m) correctly about you hypocrites,⁽ⁿ⁾ as it is written: ^(o) These people honor ^(p) Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

They worship Me in vain, teaching ^(q) as doctrines ^(r) the commands ^(s) of men . ^(t)[c]

Disregarding the command of God, you keep the tradition of men." ^[d]

He also said to them, "You completely invalidate God's command in order to maintain^[e] your tradition!

For Moses^(u) said: Honor your father and your mother; ^(v)[f] and Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death. ^(w)[g]

But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or mother: Whatever benefit^(x) you might have received from me is Corban'" (that is, a gift^(y) committed to the temple),

"you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.

You revoke God's word^(z) by your tradition that you have handed^(aa) down. And you do many other similar things."

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!"

In^(a) those days there was again a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. He summoned^(b) the disciples^(c) and said to them,

"I have compassion^(d) on the crowd, because they've already stayed with Me three days and have nothing to eat.

If I send them home hungry,^[a] they will collapse on the way,^(e) and some of them have come a long distance."

His disciples answered Him, "Where can anyone get enough bread here in this desolate place to fill^(f) these people?"

"How many loaves do you have?" He asked them. "Seven," they said.

Then He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks, broke^(g) the loaves, and kept on giving them to His disciples to set before the people. So they served the loaves to the crowd.

They also had a few small fish, and when He had blessed them, He said these were to be served as well.

They ate and were filled. Then they collected seven large baskets of leftover pieces.

About 4,000 men were there. He dismissed them

and immediately got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.^[b]

The^(h) Pharisees⁽ⁱ⁾ came out and began to argue with Him, demanding of Him a sign^(j) from heaven^(k) to test^(l) Him.

But sighing deeply in His spirit,^(m) He said, "Why does this generation⁽ⁿ⁾ demand a sign? I assure you:^(o) No sign will be given to this generation!"

Then He left them, got on board the boat again, and went to the other side.

They had forgotten to take bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat.

Then^(p) He commanded them: "Watch out! Beware of the yeast^(q) of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod." ^(r)

They were discussing among themselves that they did not have any bread.

Aware of this, He said to them, "Why are you discussing that you do not have any bread? Don't you understand or comprehend? Is your heart hardened? ^(s)

Do you have eyes, and not see, and do you have ears, and not hear? ^(t)[c] And do you not remember?^(u)

When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets full of pieces of bread did you collect?" "Twelve," they told Him.

"When I broke the seven loaves for the 4,000, how many large baskets full of pieces of bread did you collect?" "Seven," they said.

And He said to them, "Don't you understand yet?" ^(v)

Then they came to Bethsaida.^(w) They brought a blind^(x) man to Him and begged Him to touch him.

He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. Spitting^(y) on his eyes and laying His hands on^(z) him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?"

He looked up and said, "I see people—they look to me like trees walking."^(aa)

Again Jesus placed His hands on the man's eyes, and he saw distinctly. He was cured and could see everything clearly.

Then He sent^(ab) him home, saying, "Don't even go into the village." ^[d](ac)

Jesus^(ad) went out with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the road He asked His disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"

They answered Him, "John the Baptist;^(ae) others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets."^(af)

"But you," He asked them again, "who do you say that I am?" Peter^(ag) answered Him, "You are the Messiah!"^(ah)

And He strictly warned^(ai) them to tell no one about Him.

Then^(aj) He began to teach them that the Son of Man^(ak) must suffer many things and be rejected^(al) by the elders,^(am) the chief priests, and the scribes,^(an) be killed, and rise^(ao) after three days.^(ap)

He was openly talking about this. So Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.

But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind Me, Satan,^(aq) because you're not thinking about God's concerns,^[e] but man's!"

Summoning the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, "If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself,^(ar) take up his cross,^(as) and follow Me.^(at)

For whoever wants to save^(au) his life will lose it,^(av) but whoever loses^(aw) his life^(ax) because of Me^(ay) and the gospel^(az) will save it.^(ba)

For what does it benefit^(bb) a man to gain^(bc) the whole world^(bd) yet lose^(be) his life? ^(bf)

What can a man give in exchange for his life?^(bg)

For whoever is ashamed^(bh) of Me and of My words^(bi) in this adulterous and sinful^(bj) generation,^(bk) the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory^(bl) of His Father^(bm) with the holy^(bn) angels." ^(bo)