20. Now there were seven brothers; the first one took a wife and died, leaving no children.
21. And the second [brother] married her, and died, leaving no children; and the third did the same;
22. And all seven, leaving no children. Last of all, the woman died also.
23. Now in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For the seven were married to her.
24. Jesus said to them, Is not this where you wander out of the way and go wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?
25. For when they arise from among the dead, [men] do not marry nor are [women] given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven.
26. But concerning the dead being raised–have you not read in the book of Moses, [in the passage] about the [burning] bush, how God said to him, I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? [Exod. 3:2-6.]
27. He is not the God of [the] dead, but of [the] living! You are very wrong.
28. Then one of the scribes came up and listened to them disputing with one another, and, noticing that Jesus answered them fitly and admirably, he asked Him, Which commandment is first and most important of all [in its nature]?
29. Jesus answered, The first and principal one of all commands is: Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord;
30. And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment. [Deut. 6:4, 5.]
31. The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. [Lev. 19:18.]
32. And the scribe said to Him, Excellently and fitly and admirably answered, Teacher! You have said truly that He is One, and there is no other but Him;
33. And to love Him out of and with all the heart and with all the understanding [with the faculty of quick apprehension and intelligence and keenness of discernment] and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. [I Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6; Mic. 6:6-8; Heb. 10:8.]
34. And when Jesus saw that he answered intelligently (discreetly and having his wits about him), He said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And after that no one ventured or dared to ask Him any further question.
35. And as Jesus taught in [a porch or court of] the temple, He said, How can the scribes say that the Christ is David's Son?
36. David himself, [inspired] in the Holy Spirit, declared, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies [a footstool] under Your feet. [Ps. 110:1.]
37. David himself calls Him Lord; so how can it be that He is his Son? Now the great mass of the people heard [Jesus] gladly [listening to Him with delight].