Mat 5:43-48 | ESV | STEP | You have heard that it was said , You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy .

aSee ver. 21

bCited from Lev. 19:18; See ch. 19:19

c Luke 6:27, 28; Rom. 12:20; [Ex. 23:4; Job 31:29, 30; Ps. 7:4]

d Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60; 2 Tim. 4:16; 1 Pet. 3:9

e Luke 6:35; [Eph. 5:1; Phil. 2:15]

f Acts 14:17

g Luke 6:32

i ch. 6:7, 32

j[Luke 6:36]

k ch. 19:21; 1 Cor. 2:6 (Gk.); Phil. 3:15 (Gk.); Col. 1:28; 4:12 (Gk.); James 1:4; 3:2; See Gen. 17:1

l[Lev. 19:2; 1 Pet. 1:15]

Matthew 5:43-48

Love Your Enemies

43 ^a“You have heard that it was said, ^b‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, ^cLove your enemies and ^dpray for those who persecute you, 45 ^eso that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and ^fsends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 ^gFor if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters. The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) refers to siblings in a family. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, adelphoi may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters} what more are you doing than others? Do not even ⁱthe Gentiles do the same? 48 ^jYou therefore must be ^kperfect, ^las your heavenly Father is perfect.