29-31 Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.”

32-33 The religion scholar said, “A wonderful answer, Teacher! So clear-cut and accurate—that God is one and there is no other. And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that’s better than all offerings and sacrifices put together!”

34 When Jesus realized how insightful he was, he said, “You’re almost there, right on the border of God’s kingdom.”

After that, no one else dared ask a question.

* * *

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30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[a](A) 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b](B) There is no commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.(C) 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”(D)

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”(E) And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 12:30 Deut. 6:4,5
  2. Mark 12:31 Lev. 19:18