New Testament in a Year

²⁵ The Greatest Commandment.^[a]And behold, a lawyer came forward to test Jesus by asking, “Teacher, what must I do to gain eternal life?” ²⁶ Jesus said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” ²⁷ He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸ Jesus then said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ The Parable of the Good Samaritan. But because the man wished to justify himself, he asked, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰ Jesus replied, “A man was going down^[b] from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him and beat him, and then went off leaving him half-dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be traveling along that same road, but when he saw him he passed by on the other side. ³² A Levite^[c] likewise came to that spot and saw him, but he too passed by on the other side.

³³ “But a Samaritan who was traveling along that road came upon him, and when he saw him he was moved with compassion. ³⁴ He went up to him and bandaged his wounds after having poured oil and wine on them. Then he brought him upon his own animal to an inn and looked after him.

³⁵ “The next day, he took out two denarii^[d] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Look after him, and when I return I will repay you for anything more you might spend.’

³⁶ “Which of those three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” ³⁷ He answered, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”^[e]

³⁸ Martha and Mary.^[f] In the course of their journey, he came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹ She had a sister named Mary who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying.

⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by her many tasks. So she came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me.” ⁴¹ The Lord answered her: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and upset about many things, ⁴² when only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her.”