Love for Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[a](A) and hate your enemy.’^{(B) 44} But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,^{(C) 45} that you may be children^(D) 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.^{(E) 46} If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?^(F) 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.^(G)

⁶ You see, at just the right time,^(A) when we were still powerless,^(B) Christ died for the ungodly.^{(C) 7} Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.^(D)

⁹ Since we have now been justified^(E) by his blood,^(F) how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath^(G) through him! ¹⁰ For if, while we were God’s enemies,^(H) we were reconciled^(I) to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!^{(J) 11} Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.^(K)