The Greatest Commandment^(A)

³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,^(B) the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law,^(C) tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^{[a] 30} Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^[b](A)

³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment.

³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[a](A) There is no commandment greater than these.”

⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”^(A)

³² “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.^{(A) 33} To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”^(B)

³⁴ When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”^(C) And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.^(D)