The Greatest Commandment

6 “Now this is ^(A)the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, ^2 (B)that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, ^(C)and that your days may be prolonged. ³ Therefore hear, O Israel, and ^[a]be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may ^(D)multiply greatly ^(E)as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—^(F)‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’

^4 (G)“Hear, O Israel: ^[b]The Lord our God, the Lord is one! ^5 (H)You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, ^(I)with all your soul, and with all your strength.

⁶ “And ^(J)these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ^7 (K)You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ^8 (L)You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ^9 (M)You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

The Man of God and the Word of God

^10 (A)But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, ¹¹ persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me ^(B)at Antioch, ^(C)at Iconium, ^(D)at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And ^(E)out of them all the Lord delivered me. ¹² Yes, and ^(F)all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. ^13 (G)But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴ But you must ^(H)continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, ¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known ^(I)the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

^16 (J)All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, ^(K)and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for ^[a]instruction in righteousness, ^17 (L)that the man of God may be complete, ^(M)thoroughly equipped for every good work.

⁵ Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(A)unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is ^(B)flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ^8 (C)The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

⁹ Nicodemus answered and said to Him, ^(D)“How can these things be?”

¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? ^11 (E)Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and ^(F)you do not receive Our witness. ¹² If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ^13 (G)No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man ^[a]who is in heaven. ^14 (H)And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so ^(I)must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever ^(J)believes in Him should ^[b]not perish but ^(K)have eternal life. ^16 (L)For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten ^(M)Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ^17 (N)For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.