¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.

⁴⁴ But I say, love your enemies!^[a] Pray for those who persecute you!

⁹ Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.

¹⁵ See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

¹² We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us. ¹³ We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash—right up to the present moment.

²¹ Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

¹⁰ And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

²⁸ Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”^[a] And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.^[b]

²¹ For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered^[a] for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.