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Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good.
Romans 12:9 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
  • BSB Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.
  • NKJV Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
  • NASB Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.
  • NLT Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

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.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 29

  • Ps 34:14Depart from evil, and do good. seek peace, and pursue it.
  • 1 Pet 4:8And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.
  • 1 Tim 1:5but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith;
  • 1 Jn 3:18–20My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.
  • 1 Pet 3:10–11For, “He who would love life, and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.
  • 1 Th 5:21Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.
  • Ps 101:3I will set no vile thing before my eyes. I hate the deeds of faithless men. They will not cling to me.
  • 1 Pet 1:22Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently:
  • Heb 12:14Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord,
  • Amos 5:15Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
  • Ps 97:10You who love Yahweh, hate evil. He preserves the souls of his saints. He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
  • 2 Cor 8:8I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.
  • Prov 8:13The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.
  • 1 Th 5:15See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all.
  • 2 Cor 6:6in pureness, in knowledge, in perseverance, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love,
  • Heb 1:9You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.”
  • Ps 119:163I hate and abhor falsehood. I love your law.
  • Ezek 33:31They come to you as the people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but don’t do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain.
  • Prov 26:25When his speech is charming, don’t believe him; for there are seven abominations in his heart.
  • Ps 119:104Through your precepts, I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. NUN
  • Ps 36:4He plots iniquity on his bed. He sets himself in a way that is not good. He doesn’t abhor evil.
  • Ps 55:21His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.
  • Acts 11:23who, when he had come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad. He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should remain near to the Lord.
  • John 12:6Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it.
  • 1 Th 2:3For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception.
  • Ps 45:7You have loved righteousness, and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
  • Jas 2:15–16And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,
  • Matt 26:49Immediately he came to Jesus, and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
  • 2 Sam 20:9–10Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Romans videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Romans 12:9YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on RomansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.

How Romans 12:9 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.