Thursday, June 4, 2026

⁸Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the offspring of David, according to my Good News,

⁹in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But God's word isn't chained.

¹⁰Therefore I endure all things for the chosen ones' sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

¹¹This saying is trustworthy: "For if we died with him, we will also live with him.

¹²If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us.

¹³If we are faithless, he remains faithful; for he can't deny himself."

¹⁴Remind them of these things, charging them in the sight of the Lord that they don't argue about words to no profit, to the subverting of those who hear.

¹⁵Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn't need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth.

¹²Praise the LORD, Jerusalem! Praise your God, Zion!

¹³For he has strengthened the bars of your gates. He has blessed your children within you.

¹⁴He makes peace in your borders. He fills you with the finest of the wheat.

¹⁵He sends out his commandment to the earth. His word runs very swiftly.

¹⁹He shows his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.

²⁰He has not done this for just any nation. They don't know his ordinances. Praise the LORD!

²⁸One of the scribes came and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the greatest of all?"

²⁹Jesus answered, "The greatest is: 'Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

³⁰You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.

³¹The second is like this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

³²The scribe said to him, "Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he;

³³and to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

³⁴When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from God's Kingdom." No one dared ask him any question after that.