The Greatest Commandment
(Matthew 22:34–40; Mark 12:28–34)

1These now are the commandements, ordinances, and lawes, which the Lorde your God commanded me to teach you, that ye might doe them in the land whither ye go to possesse it: 2That thou mightest feare the Lorde thy God, and keepe all his ordinances, and his commandements which I commaund thee, thou, and thy sonne, and thy sonnes sonne all the dayes of thy life, euen that thy dayes may be prolonged. 3Heare therefore, O Israel, and take heede to doe it, that it may go well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily in the land that floweth with milke and hony, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee.

4Heare, O Israel, The Lord our God is Lord onely, 5And thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soule, and with all thy might. 6And these wordes which I commaund thee this day, shalbe in thine heart. 7And thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children, and shalt talke of them when thou tariest in thine house, and as thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest downe, and when thou risest vp: 8And thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hand, and they shalbe as frontlets betweene thine eyes. 9Also thou shalt write them vpon ye postes of thine house, and vpon thy gates.

10And when the Lord thy God hath brought thee into the land, which he sware vnto thy fathers, Abraham, Izhak, and Iaakob, to giue to thee, with great and goodly cities which thou buildedst not, 11And houses full of all maner of goods which thou filledst not, and welles digged which thou diggedst not, vineyards & oliue trees which thou plantedst not, and when thou hast eaten and art full, 12Beware least thou forget the Lord, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 13Thou shalt feare the Lorde thy God, and serue him, and shalt sweare by his Name. 14Ye shall not walke after other gods, after any of the gods of the people which are round about you, 15(For the Lorde thy God is a ielous God among you:) least the wrath of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from the face of the earth.

16Ye shal not tempt the Lord your God, as ye did tempt him in Massah: 17But ye shal keepe diligently the commandements of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his ordinances which he hath commanded thee, 18And thou shalt doe that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord: that thou mayest prosper, & that thou mayest go in, & possesse that good land which the Lord sware vnto thy fathers, 19To cast out all thine enemies before thee, as the Lord hath sayd.

Teach Your Children

20When thy sonne shall aske thee in time to come, saying, What meane these testimonies, and ordinances, and Lawes, which the Lorde our God hath commaunded you? 21Then shalt thou say vnto thy sonne, We were Pharaohs bondmen in Egypt: but the Lord brought vs out of Egypt with a mightie hand. 22And the Lord shewed signes and wonders great and euill vpon Egypt, vpon Pharaoh, and vpon all his housholde, before our eyes, 23And brought vs out from thence, to bring vs in, and to giue vs the land which he sware vnto our fathers. 24Therefore the Lord hath commanded vs, to doe all these ordinances, and to feare the Lord our God, that it may goe euer well with vs, and that he may preserue vs aliue as at this present. 25Moreouer, this shall be our righteousnes before the Lorde our God, if we take heede to keepe all these commandements, as he hath commanded vs.