Oholiab and Bezalel

31 The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name (A)Bezalel the son of Uri, son of (B)Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have (C)filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him (D)Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men (E)ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: (F)the tent of meeting, and (G)the ark of the testimony, and (H)the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, (I)the table and its utensils, and (J)the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and (K)the altar of incense, and (L)the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and (M)the basin and its stand, 10 and (N)the finely worked garments,[a] the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, 11 and (O)the anointing oil and the fragrant (P)incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.”

The Sabbath

12 And the Lord said to Moses, 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. (Q)Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 (R)Six days shall work be done, but (S)the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. (T)Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. 17 (U)It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that (V)in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and (W)on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”

18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the (X)two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with (Y)the finger of God.

The Golden Calf

32 When the people saw that Moses (Z)delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, (AA)“Up, make us gods who shall (AB)go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the (AC)rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. (AD)And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden[b] calf. And they said, (AE)“These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron (AF)made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And (AG)the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up (AH)to play.

And the Lord said to Moses, (AI)“Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have (AJ)corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that (AK)I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, (AL)it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore (AM)let me alone, that (AN)my wrath may burn hot against them and (AO)I may consume them, in order that (AP)I may make a great nation of you.”

11 But (AQ)Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 (AR)Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and (AS)relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you (AT)swore by your own self, and said to them, (AU)‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the Lord (AV)relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

15 Then (AW)Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the (AX)two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. 16 (AY)The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 17 When (AZ)Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But he said, “It is not the sound of (BA)shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” 19 And as soon as he came near the camp and (BB)saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.

21 And Moses said to Aaron, (BC)“What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. (BD)You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For (BE)they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So (BF)I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

25 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, (BG)to the derision of their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord's side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you (BH)kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. 29 And Moses said, “Today you have been (BI)ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.”

30 The next day Moses said to the people, (BJ)“You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; (BK)perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, (BL)this people has sinned a great sin. They have (BM)made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if (BN)you will forgive their sin—but if not, please (BO)blot me out of (BP)your book that you have written.” 33 But the Lord said to Moses, (BQ)“Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. 34 (BR)But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; (BS)behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.”

35 Then the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.

The Command to Leave Sinai

33 The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you (BT)and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To (BU)your offspring I will give it.’ I will send an (BV)angel before you, (BW)and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (BX)Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; (BY)but I will not go up among you, (BZ)lest I consume you on the way, for you are a (CA)stiff-necked people.”

When the people heard this disastrous word, they (CB)mourned, and (CC)no one put on his ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a (CD)stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would (CE)consume you. So now (CF)take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.

The Tent of Meeting

Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and (CG)he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who (CH)sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and (CI)each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the (CJ)pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord[c] would speak with Moses. 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. 11 Thus (CK)the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his (CL)assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Moses' Intercession

12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, (CM)you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, (CN)‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please (CO)show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is (CP)your people.” 14 And he said, (CQ)“My presence will go with you, and (CR)I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, (CS)“If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? (CT)Is it not in your going with us, (CU)so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

17 And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, (CV)for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 Moses said, “Please (CW)show me your glory.” 19 And he said, (CX)“I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And (CY)I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for (CZ)man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a (DA)cleft of the rock, and I will (DB)cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall (DC)not be seen.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 31:10 Or garments for worship
  2. Exodus 32:4 Hebrew cast metal; also verse 8
  3. Exodus 33:9 Hebrew he

Bezalel and Oholiab(A)

31 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel(B) son of Uri, the son of Hur,(C) of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge(D) and with all kinds of skills(E) to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab(F) son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan,(G) to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers(H) to make everything I have commanded you: the tent of meeting,(I) the ark of the covenant law(J) with the atonement cover(K) on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— the table(L) and its articles, the pure gold lampstand(M) and all its accessories, the altar of incense,(N) the altar of burnt offering(O) and all its utensils, the basin(P) with its stand— 10 and also the woven garments(Q), both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, 11 and the anointing oil(R) and fragrant incense(S) for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded(T) you.”

The Sabbath

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, 13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths.(U) This will be a sign(V) between me and you for the generations to come,(W) so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.(X)

14 “‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death;(Y) those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. 15 For six days work(Z) is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest,(AA) holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. 16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath,(AB) celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a sign(AC) between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.(AD)’”(AE)

18 When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai,(AF) he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone(AG) inscribed by the finger of God.(AH)

The Golden Calf

32 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain,(AI) they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods[a] who will go before(AJ) us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”(AK)

Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings(AL) that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol(AM) cast in the shape of a calf,(AN) fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,[b](AO) Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”(AP)

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival(AQ) to the Lord.” So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings.(AR) Afterward they sat down to eat and drink(AS) and got up to indulge in revelry.(AT)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt,(AU) have become corrupt.(AV) They have been quick to turn away(AW) from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol(AX) cast in the shape of a calf.(AY) They have bowed down to it and sacrificed(AZ) to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’(BA)

“I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked(BB) people. 10 Now leave me alone(BC) so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy(BD) them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”(BE)

11 But Moses sought the favor(BF) of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?(BG) 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’?(BH) Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster(BI) on your people. 13 Remember(BJ) your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self:(BK) ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars(BL) in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land(BM) I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” 14 Then the Lord relented(BN) and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

15 Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law(BO) in his hands.(BP) They were inscribed(BQ) on both sides, front and back. 16 The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.(BR)

17 When Joshua(BS) heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war in the camp.”

18 Moses replied:

“It is not the sound of victory,
    it is not the sound of defeat;
    it is the sound of singing that I hear.”

19 When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf(BT) and the dancing,(BU) his anger burned(BV) and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces(BW) at the foot of the mountain. 20 And he took the calf the people had made and burned(BX) it in the fire; then he ground it to powder,(BY) scattered it on the water(BZ) and made the Israelites drink it.

21 He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?”

22 “Do not be angry,(CA) my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil.(CB) 23 They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’(CC) 24 So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”(CD)

25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock(CE) to their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him.

27 Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’”(CF) 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”

30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin.(CG) But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement(CH) for your sin.”

31 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed!(CI) They have made themselves gods of gold.(CJ) 32 But now, please forgive their sin(CK)—but if not, then blot me(CL) out of the book(CM) you have written.”

33 The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out(CN) of my book. 34 Now go, lead(CO) the people to the place(CP) I spoke of, and my angel(CQ) will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish,(CR) I will punish them for their sin.”

35 And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf(CS) Aaron had made.

33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath(CT) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’(CU) I will send an angel(CV) before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.(CW) Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey.(CX) But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked(CY) people and I might destroy(CZ) you on the way.”

When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn(DA) and no one put on any ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people.(DB) If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy(DC) you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’” So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.(DD)

The Tent of Meeting

Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.”(DE) Anyone inquiring(DF) of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents,(DG) watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud(DH) would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke(DI) with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent.(DJ) 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face,(DK) as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua(DL) son of Nun did not leave the tent.

Moses and the Glory of the Lord

12 Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’(DM) but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name(DN) and you have found favor(DO) with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways(DP) so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”(DQ)

14 The Lord replied, “My Presence(DR) will go with you, and I will give you rest.”(DS)

15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence(DT) does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us?(DU) What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”(DV)

17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked,(DW) because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”(DX)

18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”(DY)

19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass(DZ) in front of you, and I will proclaim my name,(EA) the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.(EB) 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see(EC) me and live.”

21 Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock(ED) and cover you with my hand(EE) until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 32:1 Or a god; also in verses 23 and 31
  2. Exodus 32:4 Or This is your god; also in verse 8

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

23 The same day (A)Sadducees came to him, (B)who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, (C)‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. 26 So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27 After them all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”

29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, (D)because you know neither the Scriptures nor (E)the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither (F)marry nor (G)are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, (H)have you not read what was said to you by God: 32 (I)‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 And when the crowd heard it, (J)they were astonished at his teaching.

The Great Commandment

34 (K)But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced (L)the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 (M)And one of them, (N)a lawyer, asked him a question (O)to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, (P)“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And (Q)a second is like it: (R)You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 (S)On these two commandments depend (T)all the Law and the Prophets.”

Whose Son Is the Christ?

41 (U)Now while the Pharisees (V)were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about (W)the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, (X)“The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, (Y)in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

44 (Z)“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
    until I put your enemies under your feet”’?

45 If then David calls him Lord, (AA)how is he his son?” 46 (AB)And no one was able to answer him a word, (AC)nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

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Marriage at the Resurrection(A)

23 That same day the Sadducees,(B) who say there is no resurrection,(C) came to him with a question. 24 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.(D) 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27 Finally, the woman died. 28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”

29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures(E) or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage;(F) they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’[a]?(G) He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”

33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.(H)

The Greatest Commandment(I)

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

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[b](L) 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c](M) 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”(N)

Whose Son Is the Messiah?(O)

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

“The son of David,”(P) they replied.

43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
    under your feet.”’[d](Q)

45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.(R)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 22:32 Exodus 3:6
  2. Matthew 22:37 Deut. 6:5
  3. Matthew 22:39 Lev. 19:18
  4. Matthew 22:44 Psalm 110:1