The Tradition of the Elders (Mark 7:1–13)
1 UST After that, some Pharisees and teachers of the Jewish law who were from the city of Jerusalem visited Jesus. They told him, BSB BSB: Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,
2 UST “Your apprentices do not cleanse their hands before they eat. So, they are disobeying the teachings we received from our ancestors. They should not do that!” BSB BSB: “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
3 UST Jesus replied,“Sometimes you use the teachings that you received to disobey the laws that God gave us. You should not do that! BSB BSB: Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
4 UST For example, God gave this law:‘Treat your parents respectfully.’{ He} also{ gave this law}:‘Execute anyone who insults his or her parents.’ BSB BSB: For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
5 UST However, you tell people that they can say to their parents,‘I have given to God everything that I could have used to provide for you.’ BSB BSB: 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 UST Then, you tell these people that they cannot treat their parents respectfully{ by providing for them}. In that way, you use the teachings that you received to ignore what God commanded. BSB BSB: he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
7 UST You say that you obey God, but you really do not! Isaiah{ the prophet} was right when God spoke through him about you, BSB BSB: You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you:
9 UST When you worship me, it is useless.{ That is because} you use only what humans have commanded to instruct others.’” BSB BSB: They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”
What Defiles a Man (Mark 7:14–23)
10 UST Then Jesus told the large group of people to come to him. He told them,“Listen{ to what I am about to say} and learn{ from it}. BSB BSB: Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “Listen and understand.
11 UST Whatever people eat cannot make them unclean. Rather, it is what people say that makes them unclean.” BSB BSB: A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”
12 UST Later, his apprentices went to him and asked him,“We want you to know that the Pharisees heard what you said and became very upset.” BSB BSB: Then the disciples came to Him and said, “Are You aware that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
13 UST Jesus replied,“{ Those Pharisees are like} plants that God my Father, who rules from heaven, did not plant.{ He will punish them in the same way that} he would tear up such plants. BSB BSB: But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots.
14 UST Do not listen to them. They do not know what they should be teaching. They are like blind people who guide other blind people right into a hole in the ground.” BSB BSB: Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
15 UST Peter replied,“Please tell us what that story means.” BSB BSB: Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
16 UST Jesus answered,“You too have not yet learned what I mean. BSB BSB: “Do you still not understand?” Jesus asked.
17 UST I want you to realize that everything that people eat simply goes into their stomachs. Eventually, their bodies expel what they ate into toilets. BSB BSB: “Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated?
18 UST What actually makes people unclean is what they say, which shows what they think and care about. BSB BSB: But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.
19 UST In fact, it is because of what people think and care about that they think evil things, kill others, are sexually unfaithful to their spouses, have improper sex, steal things, speak what is untrue, and say bad things{ about God or others}. BSB BSB: For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.
20 UST It is doing those things that makes people unclean. However, when people do not cleanse their hands before they eat, that does not make them unclean.” BSB BSB: These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.”
The Faith of the Canaanite Woman (Mark 7:24–30)
22 UST Then, a non- Jewish woman who was from those areas visited Jesus. She called out to him,“My Lord, you who are a descendant of King David, help me! A demon is controlling my daughter and making her suffer.” BSB BSB: And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.”
25 UST Then the woman approached Jesus. She knelt down in front of him and pled,“My Lord, please help me!” BSB BSB: The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 UST Jesus replied,“Suppose that someone takes food for children and gives it to dogs instead. That is not appropriate!{ That is why I am not helping you.}” BSB BSB: But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 UST The woman replied,“My Lord, what you say is correct. In fact, though, dogs do eat leftovers that their owners spill on the ground.{ What I am asking you to do is like those leftovers.}” BSB BSB: “Yes, Lord,” she said, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
The Feeding of the Four Thousand (2 Kings 4:42–44; Mark 8:1–10)
29 UST After that, Jesus{ and his apprentices} left{ the areas near the cities of Tyre and Sidon}. They traveled to the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Then Jesus went up on a hill and sat down. BSB BSB: Moving on from there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on a mountain and sat down.
30 UST Large groups of people came to him. They brought people who could not walk, people who could not see, people who could not use their hands normally, people who could not speak, and people who were sick in many other ways. They set these people down in front of Jesus. Then, Jesus cured these people. BSB BSB: Large crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and laid them at His feet, and He healed them.
31 UST The large group of people saw{ what Jesus had done}. People who could not talk were now speaking. People who could not use their hands normally were now able to do so. People who could not walk were now walking. People who could not see were now seeing. What Jesus had done impressed the large group of people. They praised the God whom the Israelites worship. BSB BSB: The crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.
32 UST After that, Jesus told his apprentices to come to him. He said to them,“I pity the large group of people. They have already spent three days with me, and they do not have any food to eat. Further, I do not want to tell them to go home while they are hungry, because then they might pass out while they are walking home.” BSB BSB: Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may faint along the way.”
33 UST The apprentices replied,“In this place where no one lives, we certainly do not have enough food for this large group of people to have enough to eat!” BSB BSB: The disciples replied, “Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread to feed such a large crowd?”
34 UST Jesus asked them,“How many loaves of bread do you have with you?” They replied,“We have with us seven loaves of bread and a few little fish.” BSB BSB: “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
35 UST Then Jesus told the large group of people to sit down on the ground. BSB BSB: And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground.
36 UST He picked up the seven loaves of bread and the fish. Then he thanked God for the food. After that, he tore the bread into pieces and gave the pieces to his apprentices. They distributed them to the large group of people. BSB BSB: Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
37 UST Everyone ate{ the bread}, and they all had enough to eat. Then the apprentices gathered the food that was left. They filled seven large containers with the leftovers! BSB BSB: They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
38 UST { About} 4, 000 men ate{ the bread}, and there were women and children there too! BSB BSB: A total of four thousand men were fed, besides women and children.
39 UST After he told the large group of people to go home, Jesus climbed into a boat. He{ and his apprentices} sailed to the areas near the town of Magadan. BSB BSB: After Jesus had dismissed the crowds, He got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.