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Teaching about Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[a] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![b] Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[c] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:43 Lev 19:18.
  2. 5:44 Some manuscripts add Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you. Compare Luke 6:27-28.
  3. 5:47 Greek your brothers.

Love Your Enemies(A)

43 “You have heard that it was said, (B)‘You shall love your neighbor (C)and hate your enemy.’ 44 [a]But I say to you, (D)love your enemies, bless those who curse you, (E)do good to those who hate you, and pray (F)for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for (G)He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 (H)For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your [b]brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the [c]tax collectors do so? 48 (I)Therefore you shall be perfect, just (J)as your Father in heaven is perfect.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:44 NU But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
  2. Matthew 5:47 M friends
  3. Matthew 5:47 NU Gentiles

Love Your Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor[a](A) and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your enemies[b] and pray for those who[c] persecute you,(B) 45 so that you may be[d] children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.(C) 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary?[e](D) Don’t even the Gentiles[f] do the same? 48 Be perfect,(E) therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:43 Lv 19:18
  2. 5:44 Other mss add bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you,
  3. 5:44 Other mss add mistreat you and
  4. 5:45 Or may become, or may show yourselves to be
  5. 5:47 Or doing that is superior; lit doing more
  6. 5:47 Other mss read tax collectors

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)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:43 Lev. 19:18

43 You have been taught to love your neighbor and hate your enemy.[a] 44 But I tell you this: love your enemies. Pray for those who torment you and persecute you— 45 in so doing, you become children of your Father in heaven. He, after all, loves each of us—good and evil, kind and cruel. He causes the sun to rise and shine on evil and good alike. He causes the rain to water the fields of the righteous and the fields of the sinner. 46 It is easy to love those who love you—even a tax collector can love those who love him. 47 And it is easy to greet your friends—even outsiders do that! 48 But you are called to something higher: “Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

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