Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good.

I have never been glad when my enemies suffered, or pleased when they met with disaster;

I never sinned by praying for their death.

But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.

Jesus said, "Forgive them, Father! They don't know what they are doing." They divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice.

He knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord! Do not remember this sin against them!" He said this and died.

we wear ourselves out with hard work. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;

when we are insulted, we answer back with kind words. We are no more than this world's garbage; we are the scum of the earth to this very moment!

See that no one pays back wrong for wrong, but at all times make it your aim to do good to one another and to all people.

Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen!

It was to this that God called you, for Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps.

When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judge.

Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you.