Matthew 5:43-48

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Love Your Enemies

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

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Footnotes

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