The Greatest Commandment

1 “Now this is ^zthe commandment—the statutes and the rules¹—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that ^ayou may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and ^bthat your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, ^cas the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

4 “Hear, O Israel: ^dThe Lord our God, the Lord is one.² 5 You ^eshall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And ^fthese words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 ^gYou shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 ^hYou shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 ⁱYou shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

18 For you have not come to ^zwhat may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and ^athe sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words ^bmade the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20 For they could not endure the order that was given, ^c“If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21 Indeed, ^dso terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” 22 But you have come to ^eMount Zion and to the city of the living God, ^fthe heavenly Jerusalem, and to ^ginnumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to ^hthe assembly¹ of the firstborn who are ⁱenrolled in heaven, and to ^jGod, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, ^kthe mediator of a new covenant, and to ^lthe sprinkled blood ^mthat speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For ⁿif they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time ^ohis voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ^p“Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates ^qthe removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving ^ra kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus ^slet us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our ^tGod is a consuming fire.

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, ^kunless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 ^lWhoever loves his life loses it, and ^mwhoever ⁿhates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must ^ofollow me; and ^pwhere I am, there will my servant be also. ^qIf anyone serves me, ^rthe Father will honor him.

The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up

27 ^s“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, ^tsave me from ^uthis hour’? But ^vfor this purpose I have come to ^uthis hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then ^wa voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, ^x“An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, ^y“This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 ^zNow is the judgment of this world; now will ^athe ruler of this world ^bbe cast out. 32 And I, ^cwhen I am lifted up from the earth, ^dwill draw ^eall people to myself.”