^12 (A)Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers ^(B)an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. ¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. ^14 (C)Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you ^(D)by prophecy when the council of elders ^(E)laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,^[a] so that ^(F)all may see your progress. ^16 (G)Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save ^(H)both yourself and ^(I)your hearers.

² And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. ^3 (A)Therefore, brothers,^[a] pick out from among you seven men ^(B)of good repute, ^(C)full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. ⁴ But ^(D)we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” ⁵ And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, ^(E)a man full of faith and ^(F)of the Holy Spirit, and ^(G)Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, ^(H)a proselyte of Antioch. ⁶ These they set before the apostles, and ^(I)they prayed and ^(J)laid their hands on them.

¹⁸ This charge ^(A)I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with ^(B)the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may ^(C)wage the good warfare,

^23 (A)Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for ^(B)he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And ^(C)let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ^25 (D)not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and ^(E)all the more as you see ^(F)the Day drawing near.

¹² Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from ^(A)the living God. ¹³ But ^(B)exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by ^(C)the deceitfulness of sin.

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.

²⁰ To the contrary, ^(A)“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.