Matthew 15:1–12

¹ Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ² “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.” ³ Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ ⁵ But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ ⁶ he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. ⁷ You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: ⁸ ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. ⁹ They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’” ¹⁰ Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “Listen and understand. ¹¹ A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.” ¹² Then the disciples came to Him and said, “Are You aware that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”