49 Bible Verses about Law, Letter And Spirit Of

And gathered together unto him are the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, having come from Jerusalem, and having seen certain of his disciples with defiled hands -- that is, unwashed -- eating bread, they found fault; for the Pharisees, and all the Jews, if they do not wash the hands to the wrist, do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders,read more.
and, coming from the market-place, if they do not baptize themselves, they do not eat; and many other things there are that they received to hold, baptisms of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, and couches. Then question him do the Pharisees and the scribes, 'Wherefore do thy disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but with unwashed hands do eat the bread?' and he answering said to them -- 'Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, hypocrites, as it hath been written, This people with the lips doth honour Me, and their heart is far from Me; and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings, commands of men; for, having put away the command of God, ye hold the tradition of men, baptisms of pots and cups; and many other such like things ye do.'

Then come unto Jesus do they from Jerusalem -- scribes and Pharisees -- saying, 'Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they may eat bread.'

And the Lord saith: Because drawn near hath this people, with its mouth, And with its lips they have honoured Me, And its heart it hath put far off from Me, And their fear of Me is -- A precept of men is taught!

And it came to pass, he reclining (at meat) in the house, that lo, many tax-gatherers and sinners having come, were lying (at meat) with Jesus and his disciples, and the Pharisees having seen, said to his disciples, 'Wherefore with the tax-gatherers and sinners doth your teacher eat?' And Jesus having heard, said to them, 'They who are whole have no need of a physician, but they who are ill;read more.
but having gone, learn ye what is, Kindness I will, and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call righteous men, but sinners, to reformation.'

And it came to pass, in his reclining (at meat) in his house, that many tax-gatherers and sinners were reclining (at meat) with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him. And the scribes and the Pharisees, having seen him eating with the tax-gatherers and sinners, said to his disciples, 'Why -- that with the tax-gatherers and sinners he doth eat and drink?' And Jesus, having heard, saith to them, 'They who are strong have no need of a physician, but they who are ill; I came not to call righteous men, but sinners to reformation.'

And Levi made a great entertainment to him in his house, and there was a great multitude of tax-gatherers and others who were with them reclining (at meat), and the scribes and the Pharisees among them were murmuring at his disciples, saying, 'Wherefore with tax-gatherers and sinners do ye eat and drink?' And Jesus answering said unto them, 'They who are well have no need of a physician, but they that are ill:read more.
I came not to call righteous men, but sinners, to reformation.'

And he said to them, 'Well do ye put away the command of God that your tradition ye may keep; for Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother -- let him die the death; and ye say, If a man may say to father or to mother, Korban (that is, a gift), is whatever thou mayest be profited out of mine,read more.
and no more do ye suffer him to do anything for his father or for his mother, setting aside the word of God for your tradition that ye delivered; and many such like things ye do.'

And he answering said to them, 'Wherefore also do ye transgress the command of God because of your tradition? for God did command, saying, Honour thy father and mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother -- let him die the death; but ye say, Whoever may say to father or mother, An offering is whatever thou mayest be profited by me; -- read more.
and he may not honour his father or his mother, and ye did set aside the command of God because of your tradition.

Then Jesus spake to the multitudes, and to his disciples, saying, 'On the seat of Moses sat down the scribes and the Pharisees; all, then, as much as they may say to you to observe, observe and do, but according to their works do not, for they say, and do not;read more.
for they bind together burdens heavy and grievous to be borne, and lay upon the shoulders of men, but with their finger they will not move them. 'And all their works they do to be seen by men, and they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the fringes of their garments, they love also the chief couches in the supper, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi. And ye -- ye may not be called Rabbi, for one is your director -- the Christ, and all ye are brethren; and ye may not call any your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens, nor may ye be called directors, for one is your director -- the Christ. And the greater of you shall be your ministrant, and whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut up the reign of the heavens before men, for ye do not go in, nor those going in do ye suffer to enter. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye eat up the houses of the widows, and for a pretence make long prayers, because of this ye shall receive more abundant judgment. Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye go round the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever it may happen -- ye make him a son of gehenna twofold more than yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who are saying, Whoever may swear by the sanctuary, it is nothing, but whoever may swear by the gold of the sanctuary -- is debtor! Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gold, or the sanctuary that is sanctifying the gold? And, whoever may swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever may swear by the gift that is upon it -- is debtor! Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that is sanctifying the gift? 'He therefore who did swear by the altar, doth swear by it, and by all things on it; and he who did swear by the sanctuary, doth swear by it, and by Him who is dwelling in it; and he who did swear by the heaven, doth swear by the throne of God, and by Him who is sitting upon it. Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law -- the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved you to do, and those not to neglect. 'Blind guides! who are straining out the gnat, and the camel are swallowing. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye make clean the outside of the cup and the plate, and within they are full of rapine and incontinence. 'Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside of them also may become clean. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye are like to whitewashed sepulchres, which outwardly indeed do appear beautiful, and within are full of bones of dead men, and of all uncleanness; so also ye outwardly indeed do appear to men righteous, and within ye are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the tombs of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. So that ye testify to yourselves, that ye are sons of them who did murder the prophets; and ye -- ye fill up the measure of your fathers. 'Serpents! brood of vipers! how may ye escape from the judgment of the gehenna?

And in his speaking, a certain Pharisee was asking him that he might dine with him, and having gone in, he reclined (at meat), and the Pharisee having seen, did wonder that he did not first baptize himself before the dinner. And the Lord said unto him, 'Now do ye, the Pharisees, the outside of the cup and of the plate make clean, but your inward part is full of rapine and wickedness;read more.
unthinking! did not He who made the outside also the inside make? But what ye have give ye as alms, and, lo, all things are clean to you. 'But woe to you, the Pharisees, because ye tithe the mint, and the rue, and every herb, and ye pass by the judgment, and the love of God; these things it behoveth to do, and those not to be neglecting. 'Woe to you, the Pharisees, because ye love the first seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places. 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye are as the unseen tombs, and the men walking above have not known.' And one of the lawyers answering, saith to him, 'Teacher, these things saying, us also thou dost insult;' and he said, 'And to you, the lawyers, woe! because ye burden men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves with one of your fingers do not touch the burdens. 'Woe to you, because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Then do ye testify, and are well pleased with the works of your fathers, because they indeed killed them, and ye do build their tombs; because of this also the wisdom of God said: I will send to them prophets, and apostles, and some of them they shall kill and persecute, that the blood of all the prophets, that is being poured forth from the foundation of the world, may be required from this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the house; yes, I say to you, It shall be required from this generation. 'Woe to you, the lawyers, because ye took away the key of the knowledge; yourselves ye did not enter; and those coming in, ye did hinder.'

And he spake also unto certain who have been trusting in themselves that they were righteous, and have been despising the rest, this simile: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer; the Pharisee having stood by himself, thus prayed: God, I thank Thee that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax-gatherer;read more.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all things -- as many as I possess. And the tax-gatherer, having stood afar off, would not even the eyes lift up to the heaven, but was smiting on his breast, saying, God be propitious to me -- the sinner! I say to you, this one went down declared righteous, to his house, rather than that one: for every one who is exalting himself shall be humbled, and he who is humbling himself shall be exalted.'

And passing by, he saw a man blind from birth, and his disciples asked him, saying, 'Rabbi, who did sin, this one or his parents, that he should be born blind?' Jesus answered, 'Neither did this one sin nor his parents, but that the works of God may be manifested in him;read more.
it behoveth me to be working the works of Him who sent me while it is day; night doth come, when no one is able to work: -- when I am in the world, I am a light of the world.' These things saying, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and rubbed the clay on the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, 'Go away, wash at the pool of Siloam,' which is, interpreted, Sent. He went away, therefore, and did wash, and came seeing; the neighbours, therefore, and those seeing him before, that he was blind, said, 'Is not this he who is sitting and begging?' others said -- 'This is he;' and others -- 'He is like to him;' he himself said, -- 'I am he.' They said, therefore, to him, 'How were thine eyes opened?' he answered and said, 'A man called Jesus made clay, and rubbed my eyes, and said to me, Go away to the pool of Siloam, and wash; and having gone away and having washed, I received sight;' they said, therefore, to him, 'Where is that one?' he saith, 'I have not known.' They bring him to the Pharisees who once was blind, and it was a sabbath when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Again, therefore, the Pharisees also were asking him how he received sight, and he said to them, 'Clay he did put upon my eyes, and I did wash -- and I see.' Of the Pharisees, therefore, certain said, 'This man is not from God, because the sabbath he doth not keep;' others said, 'How is a man -- a sinful one -- able to do such signs?' and there was a division among them.

Lo, thou art named a Jew, and dost rest upon the law, and dost boast in God, and dost know the will, and dost approve the distinctions, being instructed out of the law, and hast confidence that thou thyself art a leader of blind ones, a light of those in darkness,read more.
an instructor of foolish ones, a teacher of babes, having the form of the knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou, then, who art teaching another, thyself dost thou not teach? thou who art preaching not to steal, dost thou steal? thou who art saying not to commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou who art abhorring the idols, dost thou rob temples? thou who in the law dost boast, through the transgression of the law God dost thou dishonour? for the name of God because of you is evil spoken of among the nations, according as it hath been written.

And now, what -- to Me here, An affirmation of Jehovah, That taken is My people for nought? Its rulers cause howling, -- an affirmation of Jehovah, And continually all the day My name is despised.

And lo, one having come near, said to him, 'Good teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have life age-during?' And he said to him, 'Why me dost thou call good? no one is good except One -- God; but if thou dost will to enter into the life, keep the commands.' He saith to him, 'What kind?' And Jesus said, 'Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness,read more.
honour thy father and mother, and, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' The young man saith to him, 'All these did I keep from my youth; what yet do I lack?' Jesus said to him, 'If thou dost will to be perfect, go away, sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me.' And the young man, having heard the word, went away sorrowful, for he had many possessions; and Jesus said to his disciples, 'Verily I say to you, that hardly shall a rich man enter into the reign of the heavens; and again I say to you, it is easier for a camel through the eye of a needle to go, than for a rich man to enter into the reign of God.' And his disciples having heard, were amazed exceedingly, saying, 'Who, then, is able to be saved?' And Jesus having earnestly beheld, said to them, 'With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.' Then Peter answering said to him, 'Lo, we did leave all, and follow thee, what then shall we have?' And Jesus said to them, 'Verily I say to you, that ye who did follow me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man may sit upon a throne of his glory, shall sit -- ye also -- upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel; and every one who left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, for my name's sake, an hundredfold shall receive, and life age-during shall inherit; and many first shall be last, and last first.

And as he is going forth into the way, one having run and having kneeled to him, was questioning him, 'Good teacher, what may I do, that life age-during I may inherit?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why me dost thou call good? no one is good except One -- God; the commands thou hast known: Thou mayest not commit adultery, Thou mayest do no murder, Thou mayest not steal, Thou mayest not bear false witness, Thou mayest not defraud, Honour thy father and mother.'read more.
And he answering said to him, 'Teacher, all these did I keep from my youth.' And Jesus having looked upon him, did love him, and said to him, 'One thing thou dost lack; go away, whatever thou hast -- sell, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, be following me, having taken up the cross.' And he -- gloomy at the word -- went away sorrowing, for he was having many possessions. And Jesus having looked round, saith to his disciples, 'How hardly shall they who have riches enter into the reign of God!' And the disciples were astonished at his words, and Jesus again answering saith to them, 'Children, how hard is it to those trusting on the riches to enter into the reign of God! It is easier for a camel through the eye of the needle to enter, than for a rich man to enter into the reign of God.' And they were astonished beyond measure, saying unto themselves, 'And who is able to be saved?' And Jesus, having looked upon them, saith, 'With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.' And Peter began to say to him, 'Lo, we left all, and we followed thee.' And Jesus answering said, 'Verily I say to you, there is no one who left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, for my sake, and for the good news', who may not receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and fields, with persecutions, and in the age that is coming, life age-during;

And a certain ruler questioned him, saying, 'Good teacher, what having done -- shall I inherit life age-during?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why me dost thou call good? no one is good, except One -- God; the commands thou hast known: Thou mayest not commit adultery, Thou mayest do no murder, Thou mayest not steal, Thou mayest not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.'read more.
And he said, 'All these I did keep from my youth;' and having heard these things, Jesus said to him, 'Yet one thing to thee is lacking; all things -- as many as thou hast -- sell, and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, be following me;' and he, having heard these things, became very sorrowful, for he was exceeding rich. And Jesus having seen him become very sorrowful, said, 'How hardly shall those having riches enter into the reign of God! for it is easier for a camel through the eye of a needle to enter, than for a rich man into the reign of God to enter.' And those who heard, said, 'And who is able to be saved?' and he said, 'The things impossible with men are possible with God.' And Peter said, 'Lo, we left all, and did follow thee;' and he said to them, 'Verily I say to you, that there is not one who left house, or parents, or brothers, or wife, or children, for the sake of the reign of God, who may not receive back manifold more in this time, and in the coming age, life age-during.'

At that time did Jesus go on the sabbaths through the corn, and his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck ears, and to eat, and the Pharisees having seen, said to him, 'Lo, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on a sabbath.' And he said to them, 'Did ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, himself and those with him -- read more.
how he went into the house of God, and the loaves of the presentation did eat, which it is not lawful to him to eat, nor to those with him, except to the priests alone? 'Or did ye not read in the Law, that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple do profane the sabbath, and are blameless? and I say to you, that a greater than the temple is here; and if ye had known what is: Kindness I will, and not sacrifice -- ye had not condemned the blameless, for the son of man is lord even of the sabbath.' And having departed thence, he went to their synagogue, and lo, there was a man having the hand withered, and they questioned him, saying, 'Is it lawful to heal on the sabbaths?' that they might accuse him. And he said to them, 'What man shall be of you, who shall have one sheep, and if this may fall on the sabbaths into a ditch, will not lay hold on it and raise it? How much better, therefore, is a man than a sheep? -- so that it is lawful on the sabbaths to do good.' Then saith he to the man, 'Stretch forth thy hand,' and he stretched it forth, and it was restored whole as the other. And the Pharisees having gone forth, held a consultation against him, how they might destroy him,

And it came to pass, on the second-first sabbath, as he is going through the corn fields, that his disciples were plucking the ears, and were eating, rubbing with the hands, and certain of the Pharisees said to them, 'Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbaths?' And Jesus answering said unto them, 'Did ye not read even this that David did, when he hungered, himself and those who are with him,read more.
how he went into the house of God, and the loaves of the presentation did take, and did eat, and gave also to those with him, which it is not lawful to eat, except only to the priests?' and he said to them, -- 'The Son of Man is lord also of the sabbath.' And it came to pass also, on another sabbath, that he goeth into the synagogue, and teacheth, and there was there a man, and his right hand was withered, and the scribes and the Pharisees were watching him, if on the sabbath he will heal, that they might find an accusation against him. And he himself had known their reasonings, and said to the man having the withered hand, 'Rise, and stand in the midst;' and he having risen, stood. Then said Jesus unto them, 'I will question you something: Is it lawful on the sabbaths to do good, or to do evil? life to save or to kill?' And having looked round on them all, he said to the man, 'Stretch forth thy hand;' and he did so, and his hand was restored whole as the other; and they were filled with madness, and were speaking with one another what they might do to Jesus.

And they go on to Capernaum, and immediately, on the sabbaths, having gone into the synagogue, he was teaching, and they were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as having authority, and not as the scribes. And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out,read more.
saying, 'Away! what -- to us and to thee, Jesus the Nazarene? thou didst come to destroy us; I have known thee who thou art -- the Holy One of God.' And Jesus rebuked him, saying, 'Be silenced, and come forth out of him,' and the unclean spirit having torn him, and having cried with a great voice, came forth out of him, and they were all amazed, so as to reason among themselves, saying, 'What is this? what new teaching is this? that with authority also the unclean spirits he commandeth, and they obey him!' And the fame of him went forth immediately to all the region, round about, of Galilee.

And he came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the sabbaths, and they were astonished at his teaching, because his word was with authority. And in the synagogue was a man, having a spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a great voice,read more.
saying, 'Away, what -- to us and to thee, Jesus, O Nazarene? thou didst come to destroy us; I have known thee who thou art -- the Holy One of God.' And Jesus did rebuke him, saying, 'Be silenced, and come forth out of him;' and the demon having cast him into the midst, came forth from him, having hurt him nought; and amazement came upon all, and they were speaking together, with one another, saying, 'What is this word, that with authority and power he doth command the unclean spirits, and they come forth?' and there was going forth a fame concerning him to every place of the region round about.

And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath, and lo, there was a woman having a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bowed together, and not able to bend back at all, and Jesus having seen her, did call her near, and said to her, 'Woman, thou hast been loosed from thy infirmity;'read more.
and he laid on her his hands, and presently she was set upright, and was glorifying God. And the chief of the synagogue answering -- much displeased that on the sabbath Jesus healed -- said to the multitude, 'Six days there are in which it behoveth us to be working; in these, then, coming, be healed, and not on the sabbath-day.' Then the Lord answered him and said, 'Hypocrite, doth not each of you on the sabbath loose his ox or ass from the stall, and having led away, doth water it? and this one, being a daughter of Abraham, whom the Adversary bound, lo, eighteen years, did it not behove to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day?' And he saying these things, all who were opposed to him were being ashamed, and all the multitude were rejoicing over all the glorious things that are being done by him.

And it came to pass, on his going into the house of a certain one of the chiefs of the Pharisees, on a sabbath, to eat bread, that they were watching him, and lo, there was a certain dropsical man before him; and Jesus answering spake to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, 'Is it lawful on the sabbath-day to heal?'read more.
and they were silent, and having taken hold of him, he healed him, and let him go; and answering them he said, 'Of which of you shall an ass or ox fall into a pit, and he will not immediately draw it up on the sabbath-day?' and they were not able to answer him again unto these things.

After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and there is in Jerusalem by the sheep -gate a pool that is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches, in these were lying a great multitude of the ailing, blind, lame, withered, waiting for the moving of the water,read more.
for a messenger at a set time was going down in the pool, and was troubling the water, the first then having gone in after the troubling of the water, became whole of whatever sickness he was held. and there was a certain man there being in ailment thirty and eight years, him Jesus having seen lying, and having known that he is already a long time, he saith to him, 'Dost thou wish to become whole?' The ailing man answered him, 'Sir, I have no man, that, when the water may be troubled, he may put me into the pool, and while I am coming, another doth go down before me.' Jesus saith to him, 'Rise, take up thy couch, and be walking;' and immediately the man became whole, and he took up his couch, and was walking, and it was a sabbath on that day, the Jews then said to him that hath been healed, 'It is a sabbath; it is not lawful to thee to take up the couch.' He answered them, 'He who made me whole -- that one said to me, Take up thy couch, and be walking;' they questioned him, then, 'Who is the man who is saying to thee, Take up thy couch and be walking?' But he that was healed had not known who he is, for Jesus did move away, a multitude being in the place. After these things, Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said to him, 'Lo, thou hast become whole; sin no more, lest something worse may happen to thee.' The man went away, and told the Jews that it is Jesus who made him whole, and because of this were the Jews persecuting Jesus, and seeking to kill him, because these things he was doing on a sabbath.

Jesus answered and said to them, 'One work I did, and ye all wonder, because of this, Moses hath given you the circumcision -- not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers -- and on a sabbath ye circumcise a man; if a man doth receive circumcision on a sabbath that the law of Moses may not be broken, are ye wroth with me that I made a man all whole on a sabbath?read more.
judge not according to appearance, but the righteous judgment judge.'

and all the people were coming unto him, and having sat down, he was teaching them; and the scribes and the Pharisees bring unto him a woman having been taken in adultery, and having set her in the midst, they say to him, 'Teacher, this woman was taken in the very crime -- committing adultery,read more.
and in the law, Moses did command us that such be stoned; thou, therefore, what dost thou say?' and this they said, trying him, that they might have to accuse him. And Jesus, having stooped down, with the finger he was writing on the ground, and when they continued asking him, having bent himself back, he said unto them, 'The sinless of you -- let him first cast the stone at her;' and again having stooped down, he was writing on the ground, and they having heard, and by the conscience being convicted, were going forth one by one, having begun from the elders -- unto the last; and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. And Jesus having bent himself back, and having seen no one but the woman, said to her, 'Woman, where are those -- thine accusers? did no one pass sentence upon thee?' and she said, 'No one, Sir;' and Jesus said to her, 'Neither do I pass sentence on thee; be going on, and no more sin.'

and the Pharisees, having heard that he did silence the Sadducees, were gathered together unto him; and one of them, a lawyer, did question, tempting him, and saying, Teacher, which is the great command in the Law?'read more.
And Jesus said to him, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thine understanding -- this is a first and great command; and the second is like to it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; on these -- the two commands -- all the law and the prophets do hang.'

And one of the scribes having come near, having heard them disputing, knowing that he answered them well, questioned him, 'Which is the first command of all?' and Jesus answered him -- 'The first of all the commands is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God out of all thy heart, and out of thy soul, and out of all thine understanding, and out of all thy strength -- this is the first command;read more.
and the second is like it, this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; -- greater than these there is no other command.' And the scribe said to him, 'Well, Teacher, in truth thou hast spoken that there is one God, and there is none other but He; and to love Him out of all the heart, and out of all the understanding, and out of all the soul, and out of all the strength, and to love one's neighbour as one's self, is more than all the whole burnt-offerings and the sacrifices.' And Jesus, having seen him that he answered with understanding, said to him, 'Thou art not far from the reign of God;' and no one any more durst question him.

'And whenever the Son of Man may come in his glory, and all the holy messengers with him, then he shall sit upon a throne of his glory; and gathered together before him shall be all the nations, and he shall separate them from one another, as the shepherd doth separate the sheep from the goats, and he shall set the sheep indeed on his right hand, and the goats on the left.read more.
'Then shall the king say to those on his right hand, Come ye, the blessed of my Father, inherit the reign that hath been prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I did hunger, and ye gave me to eat; I did thirst, and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye received me; naked, and ye put around me; I was infirm, and ye looked after me; in prison I was, and ye came unto me. 'Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see thee hungering, and we nourished? or thirsting, and we gave to drink? and when did we see thee a stranger, and we received? or naked, and we put around? and when did we see thee infirm, or in prison, and we came unto thee? And the king answering, shall say to them, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did it to one of these my brethren -- the least -- to me ye did it. Then shall he say also to those on the left hand, Go ye from me, the cursed, to the fire, the age-during, that hath been prepared for the Devil and his messengers; for I did hunger, and ye gave me not to eat; I did thirst, and ye gave me not to drink; a stranger I was, and ye did not receive me; naked, and ye put not around me; infirm, and in prison, and ye did not look after me. 'Then shall they answer, they also, saying, Lord, when did we see thee hungering, or thirsting, or a stranger, or naked, or infirm, or in prison, and we did not minister to thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of these, the least, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away to punishment age-during, but the righteous to life age-during.'

For circumcision, indeed, doth profit, if law thou mayest practise, but if a transgressor of law thou mayest be, thy circumcision hath become uncircumcision. If, therefore the uncircumcision the righteousness of the law may keep, shall not his uncircumcision for circumcision be reckoned? and the uncircumcision, by nature, fulfilling the law, shall judge thee who, through letter and circumcision, art a transgressor of law.read more.
For he is not a Jew who is so outwardly, neither is circumcision that which is outward in flesh; but a Jew is he who is so inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, in spirit, not in letter, of which the praise is not of men, but of God.

And Samuel saith, 'Hath Jehovah had delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in hearkening to the voice of Jehovah? lo, hearkening than sacrifice is better; to give attention than fat of rams; for a sin of divination is rebellion, and iniquity and teraphim is stubbornness; because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, He also doth reject thee from being king.'

For Thou desirest not sacrifice, or I give it, Burnt-offering Thou acceptest not. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A heart broken and bruised, O God, Thou dost not despise.

To do righteousness and judgment, Is chosen of Jehovah rather than sacrifice.

Why to Me the abundance of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah, I have been satiated with burnt-offerings of rams, And fat of fatlings; And blood of bullocks, and lambs, And he-goats I have not desired. When ye come in to appear before Me, Who hath required this of your hand, To trample My courts? Add not to bring in a vain present, Incense -- an abomination it is to Me, New moon, and sabbath, calling of convocation! Rendure not iniquity -- and a restraint!read more.
Your new moons and your set seasons hath My soul hated, They have been upon me for a burden, I have been weary of bearing. And in your spreading forth your hands, I hide mine eyes from you, Also when ye increase prayer, I do not hear, Your hands of blood have been full. Wash ye, make ye pure, Turn aside the evil of your doings, from before Mine eyes, Cease to do evil, learn to do good. Seek judgment, make happy the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, strive for the widow.

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Your burnt-offerings add to your sacrifices, And eat ye flesh. For I did not speak with your fathers, Nor did I command them in the day of My bringing them out of the land of Egypt, Concerning the matters of burnt-offering and sacrifice, But this thing I commanded them, saying: Hearken to My voice, And I have been to you for God, And ye -- ye are to Me for a people, And have walked in all the way that I command you, So that it is well for you.

For kindness I desired, and not sacrifice, And a knowledge of God above burnt-offerings.

I have hated -- I have loathed your festivals, And I am not refreshed by your restraints. For though ye cause burnt-offerings and your presents to ascend to Me, I am not pleased, And the peace-offering of your fatlings I behold not. Turn aside from Me the noise of thy songs, Yea, the praise of thy psaltery I hear not.read more.
And roll on as waters doth judgment, And righteousness as a perennial stream.

With what do I come before Jehovah? Do I bow to God Most High? Do I come before Him with burnt-offerings? With calves -- sons of a year? Is Jehovah pleased with thousands of rams? With myriads of streams of oil? Do I give my first-born for my transgression? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath declared to thee, O man, what is good; Yea, what is Jehovah requiring of thee, Except -- to do judgment, and love kindness, And lowly to walk with thy God?

O thoughtless Galatians, who did bewitch you, not to obey the truth -- before whose eyes Jesus Christ was described before among you crucified? this only do I wish to learn from you -- by works of law the Spirit did ye receive, or by the hearing of faith? so thoughtless are ye! having begun in the Spirit, now in the flesh do ye end?read more.
so many things did ye suffer in vain! if, indeed, even in vain. He, therefore, who is supplying to you the Spirit, and working mighty acts among you -- by works of law or by the hearing of faith is it?

manifested that ye are a letter of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in the tablets of stone, but in fleshy tablets of the heart, and such trust we have through the Christ toward God, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God,read more.
who also made us sufficient to be ministrants of a new covenant, not of letter, but of spirit; for the letter doth kill, and the spirit doth make alive.

The woman saith to him, 'Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet; our fathers in this mountain did worship, and ye -- ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where it behoveth to worship.' Jesus saith to her, 'Woman, believe me, that there doth come an hour, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father;read more.
ye worship what ye have not known; we worship what we have known, because the salvation is of the Jews; but, there cometh an hour, and it now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father also doth seek such to worship him; God is a Spirit, and those worshipping Him, in spirit and truth it doth behove to worship.'

So that, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of the Christ, for your becoming another's, who out of the dead was raised up, that we might bear fruit to God; for when we were in the flesh, the passions of the sins, that are through the law, were working in our members, to bear fruit to the death; and now we have ceased from the law, that being dead in which we were held, so that we may serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of letter.

There is, then, now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit; for the law of the Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus did set me free from the law of the sin and of the death; for what the law was not able to do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, His own Son having sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, did condemn the sin in the flesh,read more.
that the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh, the things of the flesh do mind; and those according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit; for the mind of the flesh is death, and the mind of the Spirit -- life and peace; because the mind of the flesh is enmity to God, for to the law of God it doth not subject itself, for neither is it able; and those who are in the flesh are not able to please God. And ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God doth dwell in you; and if any one hath not the Spirit of Christ -- this one is not His; and if Christ is in you, the body, indeed, is dead because of sin, and the Spirit is life because of righteousness, and if the Spirit of Him who did raise up Jesus out of the dead doth dwell in you, He who did raise up the Christ out of the dead shall quicken also your dying bodies, through His Spirit dwelling in you.

so also it hath been written, 'The first man Adam became a living creature,' the last Adam is for a life-giving spirit, but that which is spiritual is not first, but that which was natural, afterwards that which is spiritual.

and are not as Moses, who was putting a vail upon his own face, for the sons of Israel not stedfastly to look to the end of that which is being made useless, but their minds were hardened, for unto this day the same vail at the reading of the Old Covenant doth remain unwithdrawn -- which in Christ is being made useless -- but till to-day, when Moses is read, a vail upon their heart doth lie,read more.
and whenever they may turn unto the Lord, the vail is taken away. And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty; and we all, with unvailed face, the glory of the Lord beholding in a mirror, to the same image are being transformed, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

and if by the Spirit ye are led, ye are not under law.

for a disannulling indeed doth come of the command going before because of its weakness, and unprofitableness, (for nothing did the law perfect) and the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw nigh to God. And inasmuch as it is not apart from oath, (for those indeed apart from oath are become priests,read more.
and he with an oath through Him who is saying unto him, 'The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest -- to the age, according to the order of Melchisedek;') by so much of a better covenant hath Jesus become surety,

And the sum concerning the things spoken of is: we have such a chief priest, who did sit down at the right hand of the throne of the greatness in the heavens, of the holy places a servant, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord did set up, and not man, for every chief priest to offer both gifts and sacrifices is appointed, whence it is necessary for this one to have also something that he may offer;read more.
for if, indeed, he were upon earth, he would not be a priest -- (there being the priests who are offering according to the law, the gifts, who unto an example and shadow do serve of the heavenly things, as Moses hath been divinely warned, being about to construct the tabernacle, for 'See (saith He) thou mayest make all things according to the pattern that was shewn to thee in the mount;') -- and now he hath obtained a more excellent service, how much also of a better covenant is he mediator, which on better promises hath been sanctioned, for if that first were faultless, a place would not have been sought for a second. For finding fault, He saith to them, 'Lo, days come, saith the Lord, and I will complete with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, a new covenant, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day of My taking them by their hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt -- because they did not remain in My covenant, and I did not regard them, saith the Lord, -- because this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord, giving My laws into their mind, and upon their hearts I will write them, and I will be to them for a God, and they shall be to Me for a people; and they shall not teach each his neighbour, and each his brother, saying, Know thou the Lord, because they shall all know Me from the small one of them unto the great one of them, because I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawlessnesses I will remember no more;' -- in the saying 'new,' He hath made the first old, and what doth become obsolete and is old is nigh disappearing.

Lo, days are coming, an affirmation of Jehovah, And I have made with the house of Israel And with the house of Judah a new covenant, Not like the covenant that I made with their fathers, In the day of My laying hold on their hand, To bring them out of the land of Egypt, In that they made void My covenant, And I ruled over them -- an affirmation of Jehovah. For this is the covenant that I make, With the house of Israel, after those days, An affirmation of Jehovah, I have given My law in their inward part, And on their heart I do write it, And I have been to them for God, And they are to me for a people.read more.
And they do not teach any more Each his neighbour, and each his brother, Saying, Know ye Jehovah, For they all know Me, from their least unto their greatest, An affirmation of Jehovah; For I pardon their iniquity, And of their sin I make mention no more.