²⁰ Then the Spirit of God ^[a]came upon ^(A)Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God: ^(B)‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? ^(C)Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.’ ” ²¹ So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they ^(D)stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. ²² Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his ^[b]father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said, “The Lord look on it, and ^(E)repay!”

⁵⁹ And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, ^(A)receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ^(B)“Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

^14 (A)Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ^15 (B)Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ^16 (C)Be of the same mind toward one another. ^(D)Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

^17 (E)Repay no one evil for evil. ^(F)Have^[a] regard for good things in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, ^(G)live peaceably with all men. ¹⁹ Beloved, ^(H)do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ^(I)“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but ^(K)overcome evil with good.

Christ in Our Place

⁶ For when we were still without strength, ^[a]in due time ^(A)Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. ⁸ But ^(B)God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified ^(C)by His blood, we shall be saved ^(D)from wrath through Him. ¹⁰ For ^(E)if when we were enemies ^(F)we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved ^(G)by His life.

^11 (B)Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of ^(C)evil against you falsely for My sake. ^12 (D)Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for ^(E)so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

^14 (A)“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Go the Second Mile^(A)

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ^(B)‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ^39 (C)But I tell you not to resist an evil person. ^(D)But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰ If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. ⁴¹ And whoever ^(E)compels you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to him who asks you, and ^(F)from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

^34 (A)Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: ^(B)some of them you will kill and crucify, and ^(C)some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, ^35 (D)that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, ^(E)from the blood of righteous Abel to ^(F)the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.