³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^{[a](A) 38} This is the first and greatest commandment.

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^{[a](A) 5} Love^(B) the Lord your God with all your heart^(C) and with all your soul and with all your strength.^{(D) 6} These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.^{(E) 7} Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.^{(F) 8} Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.^{(G) 9} Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.^(H)

¹⁵ See, I set before you today life^(A) and prosperity,^(B) death^(C) and destruction.^{(D) 16} For I command you today to love^(E) the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live^(F) and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

¹⁷ But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, ¹⁸ I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed.^(G) You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

¹⁹ This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you^(H) that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.^(I) Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ²⁰ and that you may love^(J) the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life,^(K) and he will give^(L) you many years in the land^(M) he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.^{(A) 13} For if you live according to the flesh, you will die;^(B) but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body,^(C) you will live.^(D)

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God^(E) are the children of God.^{(F) 15} The Spirit^(G) you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;^(H) rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[b] Father.”^{(I) 16} The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit^(J) that we are God’s children.^{(K) 17} Now if we are children, then we are heirs^(L)—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings^(M) in order that we may also share in his glory.^(N)

BOOK I

Psalms 1–41

Psalm 1

Psalm 84^[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.^[b] Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

מ Mem

God’s Love and Ours

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another,^(A) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God^(B) and knows God.^{(C) 8} Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.^{(D) 9} This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son^(E) into the world that we might live through him.^{(F) 10} This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us^(G) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.^{(H) 11} Dear friends,^(I) since God so loved us,^(J) we also ought to love one another.^{(K) 12} No one has ever seen God;^(L) but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.^(M)

¹³ This is how we know^(N) that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.^{(O) 14} And we have seen and testify^(P) that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.^{(Q) 15} If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,^(R) God lives in them and they in God.^{(S) 16} And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.^(T) Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.^{(U) 17} This is how love is made complete^(V) among us so that we will have confidence^(W) on the day of judgment:^(X) In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,^(Y) because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.^{(Z) 20} Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister^(AA) is a liar.^(AB) For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,^(AC) cannot love God, whom they have not seen.^{(AD) 21} And he has given us this command:^(AE) Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.^(AF)