Psalm 81:8-14

New International Version

⁸Hear me, my people,^(A) and I will warn you—
    if you would only listen to me, Israel!
⁹You shall have no foreign god^(B) among you;
    you shall not worship any god other than me.
¹⁰I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of Egypt.^(C)
Open^(D) wide your mouth and I will fill^(E) it.

¹¹“But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.^(F)
¹²So I gave them over^(G) to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.

¹³“If my people would only listen to me,^(H)
if Israel would only follow my ways,
¹⁴how quickly I would subdue^(I) their enemies
and turn my hand against^(J) their foes!

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Hosea 14

New International Version

Repentance to Bring Blessing

14 ^[a]Return,^(A) Israel, to the Lord your God.
    Your sins^(B) have been your downfall!^(C)
²Take words with you
    and return to the Lord.
Say to him:
    “Forgive^(D) all our sins
and receive us graciously,^(E)
    that we may offer the fruit of our lips.^[b]^(F)
³Assyria cannot save us;^(G)
    we will not mount warhorses.^(H)
We will never again say ‘Our gods’^(I)
    to what our own hands have made,^(J)
    for in you the fatherless^(K) find compassion.”

⁴“I will heal^(L) their waywardness^(M)
    and love them freely,^(N)
    for my anger has turned away^(O) from them.
⁵I will be like the dew^(P) to Israel;
    he will blossom like a lily.^(Q)
Like a cedar of Lebanon^(R)
    he will send down his roots;^(S)
⁶    his young shoots will grow.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,^(T)
    his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.^(U)
⁷People will dwell again in his shade;^(V)
    they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom^(W) like the vine—
    Israel’s fame will be like the wine^(X) of Lebanon.^(Y)
⁸Ephraim, what more have I^[c] to do with idols?^(Z)
    I will answer him and care for him.
I am like a flourishing juniper;^(AA)
    your fruitfulness comes from me.”

⁹Who is wise?^(AB) Let them realize these things.
    Who is discerning? Let them understand.^(AC)
The ways of the Lord are right;^(AD)
    the righteous walk^(AE) in them,
    but the rebellious stumble in them.

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Footnotes

Hosea 14:1 In Hebrew texts 14:1-9 is numbered 14:2-10.
Hosea 14:2 Or offer our lips as sacrifices of bulls
Hosea 14:8 Or Hebrew; Septuagint What more has Ephraim

Mark 12:28-34

New International Version

The Greatest Commandment^(A)

²⁸One of the teachers of the law^(B) came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^[a] ³⁰Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^[b]^(C) ³¹The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[c]^(D) There is no commandment greater than these.”

³²“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.^(E) ³³To 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.”^(F)

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

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