² “Why do Your disciples^(A) break the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat!”^[a](B)

² They observed that some of His disciples were eating their bread with unclean^(A)—that is, unwashed—hands. ³ (For the Pharisees, in fact all the Jews, will not eat unless they wash their hands ritually, keeping the tradition of the elders. ⁴ When they come from the marketplace,^(B) they do not eat unless they have washed.^(C) And there are many other customs they have received and keep, like the washing of cups, jugs, copper utensils, and dining couches.^[a](D)) ⁵ Then the Pharisees^(E) and the scribes^(F) asked Him, “Why don’t Your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders,^(G) instead of eating bread with ritually unclean^[b] hands?”