Romans 12:9-21

Contemporary English Version

Rules for Christian Living

⁹Be sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good. ¹⁰Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself. ¹¹Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. ¹²Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying. ¹³Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home.

¹⁴^(A) Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them. ¹⁵^(B) When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. ¹⁶^(C) Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you know more than others. Make friends with ordinary people.^[a] ¹⁷Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, ¹⁸and do your best to live at peace with everyone.

¹⁹^(D) Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says,

“I am the one to take revenge
and pay them back.”

²⁰^(E) The Scriptures also say,

“If your enemies are hungry,
    give them something to eat.
And if they are thirsty,
give them something
    to drink.
This will be the same
as piling burning coals
    on their heads.”