18. He said to them, "Don’t you understand either? Don’t you know that nothing from the outside that enters a person has the power to contaminate?
19. That’s because it doesn’t enter into the heart but into the stomach, and it goes out into the sewer." By saying this, Jesus declared that no food could contaminate a person in God’s sight.
20. "It’s what comes out of a person that contaminates someone in God’s sight," he said.
21. "It’s from the inside, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come: sexual sins, thefts, murders,
22. adultery, greed, evil actions, deceit, unrestrained immorality, envy, insults, arrogance, and foolishness.
23. All these evil things come from the inside and contaminate a person in God’s sight."
24. Jesus left that place and went into the region of Tyre. He didn’t want anyone to know that he had entered a house, but he couldn’t hide.
25. In fact, a woman whose young daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit heard about him right away. She came and fell at his feet.
26. The woman was Greek, Syrophoenician by birth. She begged Jesus to throw the demon out of her daughter.
27. He responded, "The children have to be fed first. It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs."
28. But she answered, "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs."
29. "Good answer!" he said. "Go on home. The demon has already left your daughter."
30. When she returned to her house, she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone.
31. After leaving the region of Tyre, Jesus went through Sidon toward the Galilee Sea through the region of the Ten Cities.
32. Some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly speak, and they begged him to place his hand on the man for healing.
33. Jesus took him away from the crowd by himself and put his fingers in the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue.
34. Looking into heaven, Jesus sighed deeply and said, "Ephphatha," which means, "Open up."
35. At once, his ears opened, his twisted tongue was released, and he began to speak clearly.
36. Jesus gave the people strict orders not to tell anyone. But the more he tried to silence them, the more eagerly they shared the news.