⁴⁵ that you may be children^(A) 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.^{(B) 46} If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?^(C) 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.^(D)

¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.^(A) Practice hospitality.^(B)

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you;^(C) bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.^{(D) 16} Live in harmony with one another.^(E) Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[a] Do not be conceited.^(F)

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil.^(G) Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.^{(H) 18} If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.^{(I) 19} Do not take revenge,^(J) my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[b](K) says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

⁴ Love is patient,^(A) love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.^{(B) 5} It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,^(C) it is not easily angered,^(D) it keeps no record of wrongs.^(E)

5 ¹ Follow God’s example,^(A) therefore, as dearly loved children^(B)

⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.^(A)

¹⁰ and have put on the new self,^(A) which is being renewed^(B) in knowledge in the image of its Creator.^{(C) 11} Here there is no Gentile or Jew,^(D) circumcised or uncircumcised,^(E) barbarian, Scythian, slave or free,^(F) but Christ is all,^(G) and is in all.

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves^(H) with compassion, kindness, humility,^(I) gentleness and patience.^{(J) 13} Bear with each other^(K) and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.^{(L) 14} And over all these virtues put on love,^(M) which binds them all together in perfect unity.^(N)

Concluding Exhortations

13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.^{(A) 2} Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers,^(B) for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.^{(C) 3} Continue to remember those in prison^(D) as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.