Matthew 15:7-20

English Standard Version

^7 (A)You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

What Defiles a Person

¹⁰ And he called the people to him and said to them, ^(D)“Hear and understand: ^11 (E)it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” ¹² Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were ^(F)offended when they heard this saying?” ¹³ He answered, ^(G)“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted ^(H)will be rooted up. ¹⁴ Let them alone; ^(I)they are blind guides.^[a] And ^(J)if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” ¹⁵ But Peter said to him, ^(K)“Explain the parable to us.” ¹⁶ And he said, ^(L)“Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not see that ^(M)whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?^{[b] 18} But ^(N)what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come ^(O)evil thoughts, ^(P)murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, ^(Q)slander. ^20 (R)These are what defile a person. But ^(S)to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”