⁹Your love must be real. Hate what is evil, and hold on to what is good. ¹⁰Love each other like brothers and sisters. Give each other more honor than you want for yourselves. ¹¹Do not be lazy but work hard, serving the Lord with all your heart. ¹²Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times. ¹³Share with God’s people who need help. Bring strangers in need into your homes.

¹⁴Wish good for those who harm you; wish them well and do not curse them. ¹⁵Be happy with those who are happy, and be sad with those who are sad. ¹⁶Live in peace with each other. Do not be proud, but make friends with those who seem unimportant. Do not think how smart you are.

¹⁷If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him. Try to do what everyone thinks is right. ¹⁸Do your best to live in peace with everyone. ¹⁹My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: “I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them,” ⁿ says the Lord. ²⁰But you should do this:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

if he is thirsty, give him a drink.

Doing this will be like pouring burning coals on his head.”

²¹Do not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good.

Read in Logos

Romans 12:12: Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Footnotes

n“I … them” Quotation from Deuteronomy 32:35.