³⁵ And one of them, an expert in religious law,^[a] asked him a question to test^[b] him: ³⁶ “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”^{[c] 37} Jesus^[d] said to him, “‘Love^[e] the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’^{[f] 38} This is the first and greatest^[g] commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^{[h] 40} All the law and the prophets depend^[i] on these two commandments.”

Exhortation to Love Neighbors

⁸ Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For the commandments,^[a] “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet,”^[b] (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^{[c] 10} Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.