Love Your Enemies^(A)

²⁷ “But I say to you who are listening, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who ·are cruel to [hurt; mistreat] you. ²⁹ If anyone ·slaps [strikes; hits] you on one cheek [^Cprobably an insult or act of rejection, although it could be a stronger punch], ·offer him [^Tturn] the other cheek, too. If someone takes your coat, do not ·stop him from taking [withhold] your ·shirt [tunic]. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and when someone takes something that is yours, don’t ·ask for [demand] it back. ³¹ ·Do to others what [Treat others as] you would want them to ·do to [treat] you. ³² If you love only the people who love you, what ·praise [credit] should you get? Even sinners love the people who love them. ³³ If you do good only to those who do good to you, what ·praise [credit] should you get? Even sinners do that! ³⁴ If you lend things to people, ·always hoping to get something back [or …from whom you expect to be repaid], what ·praise [credit] should you get? Even sinners lend to other sinners ·so that they can get back the same amount [expecting to be repaid in full]! ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without ·hoping [expecting] to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God, because he is kind even to people who are ungrateful and ·full of sin [wicked; evil]. ³⁶ ·Show mercy [Be compassionate], just as your Father ·shows mercy [is compassionate].

Don’t Retaliate^(A)

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth [Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21].’ ³⁹ But I tell you, don’t ·stand up against [resist; retaliate against] an evil person. If someone ·slaps [strikes] you on the right cheek [^Ceither an insult or an act of violence], turn to him the other cheek also. ⁴⁰ If someone wants to sue you in court and take your ·shirt [tunic], let him have your coat also. ⁴¹ If someone forces you to go with him one mile, go with him two miles [^Calluding to the practice of impressment, whereby a Roman soldier could command a civilian to carry his gear for a mile]. ⁴² If a person asks you for something, give it to him. Don’t ·refuse to give to [^Lturn away from] someone who wants to borrow from you.

Love All People^(B)

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy [Lev. 19:18].’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who ·hurt [persecute] you.^{[a] 45} ·If you do this, […so that] you will be ·true children [^Lchildren; or sons] of your Father in heaven. [^LFor] He causes ·the [^Lhis] sun to rise on evil people and on good people, and he sends rain ·to those who do right and to those who do wrong [^Lon the just/righteous and the unjust/unrighteous]. ⁴⁶ [^LFor] If you love only the people who love you, ·you will get no reward [what reward is there for that?]. ·Even [^LDon’t even…?] the tax collectors do that. ⁴⁷ And if you ·are nice only to your friends [^Lgreet only your brothers; ^Cprobably meaning fellow Jews], ·you are no better than other people [^Lwhat more are you doing (than others)?]. Even ·those who don’t know God [the Gentiles; pagans] ·are nice to their friends [^Ldo the same]. ⁴⁸ ·So [Therefore] you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.