^34 (A)But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced ^(B)the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ And one of them, ^[a](C)a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And He said to him, “‘^(D)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 ^[b]foremost commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it, ‘^(E)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ^40 (F)Upon these two commandments ^[c]hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

^28 (A)One of the scribes came up and heard them arguing, and ^(B)recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the ^[a]foremost of all?” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The ^[b]foremost is, ‘^(C)Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; ^30 (D)and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘^(E)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ³² And the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher; You have truly stated that ^(F)He is One, and there is no other besides Him; ^33 (G)and to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, ^(H)is much more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.” ³⁴ When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” ^(I)And then, no one dared any longer to question Him.