Matthew 5:43-48
New International Version - UK
Love for enemies
43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour[a] and hate your enemy.” 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
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- Matthew 5:43 Lev. 19:18
Matthew 5:43-48
The Message
43-47 “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.
48 “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”
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Matthew 5:43-48
Amplified Bible
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor (fellow man) and hate your enemy.’(A) 44 But I say to you, [a]love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,(B) 45 so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]. 46 For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers [wishing them God’s blessing and peace], what more [than others] are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles [who do not know the Lord] do that? 48 You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect.(C)
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- Matthew 5:44 The key to understanding this and other statements about love is to know that this love (the Greek word agape) is not so much a matter of emotion as it is of doing things for the benefit of another person, that is, having an unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the best for another.
Matthieu 5:43-48
La Bible du Semeur
(Lc 6.27-36)
43 Vous avez appris qu’il a été dit : Tu aimeras ton prochain[a] et tu haïras ton ennemi. 44 Eh bien, moi je vous dis : Aimez vos ennemis et priez pour ceux qui vous persécutent. 45 Ainsi vous vous comporterez vraiment comme des enfants de votre Père céleste, car lui, il fait luire son soleil sur les méchants aussi bien que sur les bons, et il accorde sa pluie aux justes comme aux injustes.
46 Si vous aimez seulement ceux qui vous aiment, allez-vous prétendre à une récompense pour cela ? Les collecteurs d’impôts eux-mêmes n’en font-ils pas autant ? 47 Si vous ne saluez que vos frères, que faites-vous d’extraordinaire ? Les païens n’agissent-ils pas de même ? 48 Votre Père céleste est parfait. Soyez donc parfaits comme lui.
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
La Bible Du Semeur (The Bible of the Sower) Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.