Love Your Enemies

27"I say to you people that are listening to me, love your enemies. Do good to those people that hate you. 28Ask God to bless those people that say bad things to you. Pray for those people that are mean to you. 29If a person hits you on the side of your face, let him hit the other side too. If a person takes your coat, don't stop him from taking your shirt too. 30Give to every person that asks you. When a person takes something that is yours, don't ask for it back. 31Do for other people what you want them to do for you. 32If you love only those people that love you, should you get some special praise for doing that? No! Even sinners love the people that love them! 33If you do good only to those people that do good to you, should you get some special praise for doing that? No! Even sinners do that! 34If you loan things to people, always hoping to get something back, should you get some special praise for that? No! Even sinners lend to other sinners so that they can get back the same amount! 35So love your enemies. Do good to them, and lend to them without hoping to get anything back. If you do these things, you will have a great reward. You will be children of the Most High (God). Yes, because God is good even to the people that are full of sin and not thankful. 36Give love and mercy the same as your Father gives love and mercy.