Mafundisho Ya Kale

Mafarisayo na baadhi ya walimu wa sheria waliokuwa wametoka Yerusalemu walikusanyika mbele ya Yesu. Wakawaona baadhi ya wanafunzi wake wakila chakula bila kunawa kama ilivyotakiwa na sheria ya dini ya Wayahudi. Wayahudi, na hasa Mafarisayo, hawali chakula pasipo kunawa kwa kufuata mila za wazee wao. Na kwa sheria wanapotoka sokoni hawawezi kula pasipo kunawa. Pia kuna desturi nyingine nyingi wanazofuata kama vile jinsi ya kuosha vikombe, vyungu, na vyombo vya shaba.

Kwa hiyo wale Mafarisayo na walimu wa sheria walimwuliza Yesu, “Mbona wanafunzi wako hawafuati desturi za wazee wetu, na badala yake wa nakula kwa mikono najisi?”

Yesu akawajibu, “Nabii Isaya alisema ukweli alipotabiri juu yenu, ninyi wanafiki, kama ilivyoandikwa: ‘Watu hawa wanani heshimu kwa midomo yao, lakini mioyoni mwao wako mbali nami. Kuniabudu kwao ni bure. Wanafundisha watu amri zao badala ya sheria yangu.’ Ninyi mmeziacha amri za Mungu na kushikilia desturi za watu.” Akawaambia, “Mnaepuka kwa ujanja amri za Mungu ili mpate kutimiza desturi zenu! 10 Kwa mfano, Musa alisema, ‘Waheshimu baba yako na mama yako’ na ‘Ye yote amtuka naye baba au mama auawe.’ 11 Lakini ninyi mnasema mtu akimwambia baba yake au mama yake kuwa, “Msaada ambao ningekupa ni Kor bani,” yaani umetengwa kama sadaka kwa Mungu, 12 basi hawaji biki tena kumsaidia baba yake au mama yake. 13 Kwa njia hiyo mnadhalilisha neno la Mungu kwa taratibu zenu mlizojiwekea. Na mnafanya mambo mengi ya jinsi hii.”

14 Yesu akaita tena ule umati wa watu akawaambia, “Nisiki lizeni nyote kwa makini na muelewe. 15 Hakuna kitu kinachomwin gia mtu kutoka nje ambacho kinaweza kumfanya mchafu. Kitu kina chotoka ndani yake ndicho kinachomfanya mchafu. 16 Mwenye nia ya kusikia na asikie.”

17 Alipoachana na wale watu aliingia ndani. Wanafunzi wake wakamwuliza maana ya mfano ule. 18 Akawajibu, “Hata nanyi hamwelewi? Hamtambui kwamba kitu kimwingiacho mtu kutoka nje hakiwezi kumfanya mchafu? 19 Mtu akila kitu hakiingii moyoni mwake bali tumboni, na baadaye hutolewa nje. Kwa kusema hivi, Yesu alifundisha kuwa aina zote za vyakula ni halali kuliwa.

20 Akaendelea kusema, “Kile kitokacho ndani ya mtu ndicho kinachomfanya awe mchafu. 21 Kwa maana ndani ya mtu, yaani moy oni mwake, hutoka: mawazo mabaya, uasherati, 22 wizi, uuaji, uzinzi, tamaa mbaya, uovu, udanganyifu, ufisadi, wivu, matusi, kiburi na upumbavu. 23 Maovu haya yote hutoka ndani ya mtu, na ndio yanayomfanya mchafu.”

Yesu Amponya Binti Ya Mama Mtaifa

24 Ndipo Yesu akaondoka hapo akaenda sehemu za Tiro. Akaingia nyumba moja, ambapo hakupenda mtu afahamu yupo. Lakini hakuweza kujificha. 25 Mama mmoja ambaye binti yake mdogo ali kuwa na pepo mchafu aliposikia habari za Yesu, alikuja mara moja akajiangusha miguuni pake. 26 Huyo mama hakuwa Myahudi, alikuwa Mgiriki aliyezaliwa Siria-Foinike. Akamsihi Yesu amtoe binti yake huyo pepo mchafu.

27 Yesu akamwambia, “Tuwaache watoto wale washibe kwanza, kwa maana si halali kuchukua chakula cha watoto na kuwatupia mbwa.”

28 Yule mama akajibu, “Ni kweli Bwana, lakini hata mbwa walio chini ya meza hula makombo ya watoto.” 29 Yesu akamjibu, “Kwa sababu ya jibu lako, unaweza kwenda nyumbani. Yule pepo ameshamtoka binti yako.”

30 Akaenda nyumbani akamkuta binti yake amelala kitandani, na pepo amemtoka.

Yesu Amponya Mtu Aliyekuwa Bubu Na Kiziwi

31 Yesu akaondoka katika eneo la Tiro, akapita katikati ya Sidoni akaenda hadi Ziwa la Galilaya kwa kupitia katika eneo la Dekapoli. 32 Hapo, watu walimletea kiziwi mmoja ambaye pia alikuwa hawezi kusema sawa sawa, wakamwomba amwekee mikono ili apone. 33 Yesu akampeleka yule kiziwi kando mbali na watu, akain giza vidole masikioni mwake kisha akatema mate na akaugusa ulimi wake. 34 Ndipo Yesu akatazama mbinguni, akahema kwa uchungu, akamwambia, “Efatha!” yaani “Funguka!” 35 Wakati huo huo masikio ya yule mtu yakafunguka na ulimi wake ukawa huru akaanza kusema vizuri.

36 Yesu akawaamuru wasimwambie mtu ye yote habari hizi. Lakini kadiri alivyowazuia ndivyo walivyozidi kutangaza habari zake. 37 Watu wakastaajabu mno. Wakasema, “Amefanya mambo yote vizuri mno! Amewawezesha viziwi wasikie na bubu waseme!”

That Which Defiles(A)

The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled,(B) that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.(C) When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.[a])(D)

So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders(E) instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”

He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.’[b](F)

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”(G)

And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[c] your own traditions!(H) 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[d](I) and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[e](J) 11 But you say(K) that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— 12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God(L) by your tradition(M) that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” [16] [f]

17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him(N) about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods(O) clean.)(P)

20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed,(Q) malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Jesus Honors a Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith(R)

24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.[g](S) He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit(T) came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”

30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Jesus Heals a Deaf and Mute Man(U)

31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre(V) and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee(W) and into the region of the Decapolis.[h](X) 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk,(Y) and they begged Jesus to place his hand on(Z) him.

33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit(AA) and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven(AB) and with a deep sigh(AC) said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.(AD)

36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone.(AE) But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 7:4 Some early manuscripts pitchers, kettles and dining couches
  2. Mark 7:7 Isaiah 29:13
  3. Mark 7:9 Some manuscripts set up
  4. Mark 7:10 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
  5. Mark 7:10 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9
  6. Mark 7:16 Some manuscripts include here the words of 4:23.
  7. Mark 7:24 Many early manuscripts Tyre and Sidon
  8. Mark 7:31 That is, the Ten Cities