³⁸“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’^l ³⁹But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer, but whoever strikes you on the right cheek,^m turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰And the one who wants to go to court with you and take your tunic, let him haveⁿ your outer garment also. ⁴¹And whoever forces you to go one mile,^o go with him two. ⁴²Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

The Sermon on the Mount: Love for Enemies

⁴³“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’^p and ‘Hate your enemy.’^q ⁴⁴But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, because he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust. ⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not the tax collectors also do the same? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing that is remarkable? Do not the Gentiles also do the same? ⁴⁸Therefore you be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Read in Logos

Matthew 5:48: You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Footnotes

lA quotation from Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20
mSome manuscripts have “your right cheek”
nLiterally “leave to him”
oA Roman mile was originally a thousand paces, but was later fixed at eight stades (1,478.5 meters)
pA quotation from Lev 19:18
qAn allusion to Deut 23:3–6