Day 398 of 730

¹Then the Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying,

²"Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."

³And he answered them, "Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?

⁴For God said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.'

⁵But you say, 'Whoever may tell his father or his mother, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,"

⁶he shall not honor his father or mother.' You have made the word of God void because of your tradition.

⁷You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

⁸'These people honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

⁹And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.'"

¹⁰He summoned the multitude, and said to them, "Hear, and understand.

¹¹That which enters into the mouth does not defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

¹²Then the disciples came, and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?"

¹³But he answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.

¹⁴Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit."

¹⁵Peter answered him, "Explain the parable to us."

¹⁶So he said, "Do you also still not understand?

¹⁷Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body?

¹⁸But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man.

¹⁹For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.

²⁰These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man."

²¹Jesus went out from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon.

²²Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders, and started shouting, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely demonized!"

²³But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away; for she cries after us."

²⁴But he answered, "I was not sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

²⁵But she came and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, help me."

²⁶But he answered, "It is not appropriate to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

²⁷But she said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."

²⁸Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

²⁹Jesus departed there, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there.

³⁰Great multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, crippled, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them,

³¹so that the crowd wondered when they saw the mute speaking, injured whole, lame walking, and blind seeing-and they glorified the God of Israel.

³²Jesus summoned his disciples and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way."

³³Then the disciples said to him, "Where should we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?"

³⁴Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

³⁵He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;

³⁶and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.

³⁷They all ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.

³⁸Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

³⁹Then he sent away the multitudes, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magadan.

¹Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand, and his holy arm, have worked salvation for him.

²The Lord has made known his salvation. He has openly shown his righteousness in the sight of the nations.

³He has remembered his loving kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

⁴Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Burst out and sing for joy, yes, sing praises!

⁵Sing praises to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the voice of melody.

⁶With trumpets and sound of the ram's horn, make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.

⁷Let the sea roar with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell therein.

⁸Let the rivers clap their hands. Let the mountains sing for joy together.

⁹Let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

¹Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.

²Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn't come to rest.

³A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools!

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

⁶One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence.

⁷Like the legs of the lame that hang loose: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

⁸As one who binds a stone in a sling, so is he who gives honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thornbush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰As an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool or he who hires those who pass by.

¹¹As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.

¹²Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion roams the streets!"

¹⁴As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.

¹⁵The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer with discretion.

¹⁷Like one who grabs a dog's ears is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.

¹⁸Like a madman who shoots firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, "Am I not joking?"

²⁰For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.

²¹As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife.

²²The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, they go down into the innermost parts.

²³Like silver dross on an earthen vessel are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.

²⁴A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart.

²⁵When his speech is charming, do not believe him; for there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

²⁷Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin.