Love Your Enemies

^43 (A)“You have heard that it was said, ^(B)‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, ^(C)Love your enemies and ^(D)pray for those who persecute you, ^45 (E)so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and ^(F)sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ^46 (G)For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers,^[a] what more are you doing than others? Do not even ^(H)the Gentiles do the same? ^48 (I)You therefore must be ^(J)perfect, ^(K)as your heavenly Father is perfect.

^30 (A)Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. ³¹ And ^(B)as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

^32 (C)“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ And ^(D)if you ^(E)lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. ³⁵ But ^(F)love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and ^(G)you will be sons of ^(H)the Most High, for ^(I)he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. ^36 (J)Be merciful, even as ^(K)your Father is merciful.