The Primary Commands

³⁴ When^(A) the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. ³⁵ And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him:^{(B) 36} “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”^[a]

³⁷ He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.^{(C)[b] 38} This is the greatest and most important^[c] command. ³⁹ The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.^{(D)[d] 40} All the Law and the Prophets depend^[e] on these two commands.”^(E)

The Primary Commands

²⁸ One^(A) of the scribes^(B) approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, “Which command is the most important of all?”^[a]

²⁹ “This is the most important,”^[b] Jesus answered:

³¹ “The second is: Love your neighbor^(I) as yourself.^(J)[f] There is no other command^(K) greater than these.”

³² Then the scribe said to Him, “You are right, Teacher! You have correctly said that He is One, and there is no one^(L) else except Him.^{(M) 33} And to love^(N) Him with all your heart, with all your understanding,^[g] and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”^(O)

³⁴ When Jesus saw that he answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”^(P) And no one dared^(Q) to question Him any longer.