Bible: Mark 7:3-13

7:3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they perform a ritual washing, 1  holding fast to the tradition of the elders. 7:4 And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. They hold fast to many other traditions: the washing of cups, pots, kettles, and dining couches. 2 ) 3  7:5 The Pharisees and the experts in the law asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat 4  with unwashed hands?” 7:6 He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart 5  is far from me.

7:7 They worship me in vain,

teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.’ 6 

7:8 Having no regard 7  for the command of God, you hold fast to human tradition.” 8  7:9 He also said to them, “You neatly reject the commandment of God in order to set up 9  your tradition. 7:10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ 10  and, ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’ 11  7:11 But you say that if anyone tells his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you would have received from me is corban’ 12  (that is, a gift for God), 7:12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother. 7:13 Thus you nullify 13  the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like this.”

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