Friday of the 3rd week of Lent

1Israel, return to the LORD your God;

for you have fallen because of your sin.

2Take words with you, and return to the LORD.

Tell him, “Forgive all our sins,

and accept that which is good;

so we offer bulls as we vowed of our lips.

3Assyria can’t save us.

We won’t ride on horses;

neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, ‘Our gods!’

for in you the fatherless finds mercy.”

4“I will heal their waywardness.

I will love them freely;

for my anger is turned away from them.

5I will be like the dew to Israel.

He will blossom like the lily,

and send down his roots like Lebanon.

6His branches will spread,

and his beauty will be like the olive tree,

and his fragrance like Lebanon.

7Men will dwell in his shade.

They will revive like the grain,

and blossom like the vine.

Their fragrance will be like the wine of Lebanon.

8Ephraim, what have I to do any more with idols?

I answer, and will take care of him.

I am like a green cypress tree;

from me your fruit is found.”

9Who is wise, that he may understand these things?

Who is prudent, that he may know them?

For the ways of the LORD are right,

and the righteous walk in them,

but the rebellious stumble in them.

5He appointed it in Joseph for a covenant,

when he went out over the land of Egypt,

I heard a language that I didn’t know.

6“I removed his shoulder from the burden.

His hands were freed from the basket.

7You called in trouble, and I delivered you.

I answered you in the secret place of thunder.

I tested you at the waters of Meribah.” Selah.

8“Hear, my people, and I will testify to you,

Israel, if you would listen to me!

9There shall be no strange god in you,

neither shall you worship any foreign god.

10I am the LORD, your God,

who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

…

13Oh that my people would listen to me,

that Israel would walk in my ways!

…

16But he would have also fed them with the finest of the wheat.

I will satisfy you with honey out of the rock.”

28One of the scribes came and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The greatest is: ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31The second is like this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he; 33and to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from God’s Kingdom.” No one dared ask him any question after that.