Matthew 15:10-28

New International Version

¹⁰ Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. ¹¹ What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them,^(A) but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”^(B)

¹² Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

¹³ He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted^(C) will be pulled up by the roots. ¹⁴ Leave them; they are blind guides.^[a](D) If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”^(E)

¹⁵ Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”^(F)

¹⁶ “Are you still so dull?”^(G) Jesus asked them. ¹⁷ “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? ¹⁸ But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart,^(H) and these defile them. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.^{(I) 20} These are what defile a person;^(J) but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman^(K)

²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.^{(L) 22} A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,^(M) have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”^(N)

²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”^(O)

²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him.^(P) “Lord, help me!” she said.

²⁶ He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

²⁷ “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!^(Q) Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.