But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Parallel translations
- WEB But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,
- KJV But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
- NKJV But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
- NASB But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
- NLT But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus commands love for enemies and prayer for persecutors. It calls disciples to the highest expression of self-giving love.
Overview
Against all human instinct, Jesus commands active love and prayer toward those who hate and harm us. This love is not mere feeling but doing good and seeking the good of one's enemies before God. It reflects the very heart of the gospel, for Christ loved and died for us while we were His enemies.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Rom 12:14Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.
- 1 Pet 3:9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
- Luke 6:27–28But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
- Rom 12:20–21On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
- Prov 25:21–22If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
- Luke 23:34Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.
- 1 Pet 2:23When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
- Acts 7:60Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
- Luke 6:34–35And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.
- 1 Cor 4:12–13We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
- 2 Kgs 6:22“Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master.”
- 1 Cor 13:4–8Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
- Exod 23:4–5If you encounter your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.
- Ps 35:13–14Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered.
- Ps 7:4if I have rewarded my ally with evil, if I have plundered my foe without cause,
- 2 Chr 28:9–15But a prophet of the LORD named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army that returned to Samaria. “Look,” he said to them, “because of His wrath against Judah, the LORD, the God of your fathers, has delivered them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches up to heaven.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 5:44 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.