Romans 12

Give Your Lives to God

12 SoTherefore brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I begurgeappeal to you to offer your livesselves^Lbodies as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for Godholy and pleasing to him, which is the spiritualor authentictrueor appropriatefittingor rationalreasonable way for you to worship. ² Do not be shaped byconformed topressed into a mold by this worldage; instead be changed withintransformed by a new way of thinkingor changing the way you think^Lthe renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to decidediscerntest and approve what God wants for youis God’s will; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect. ³ Because God has given me a special gifthis grace, I have something to say to everyone among you. Do not think you are better than you are. [omit]Instead Yyou must decide what you really arethink sensiblythink with sober discernment bybased onin accordance with the amount of faith God has given you. ⁴ [omit]^LFor just as Eeach one of us has a^Lone body with many parts, and these parts all have different usesfunctions. ⁵ In the same way, we are many, but in Christ we are all one body, and each part belongs to all the other parts^Lmembers. ⁶ We all have different gifts, each of which came because of the grace God gave us. The person who has the gift of prophecy should use that gift in agreement with the faithor in proportion to their faith. ⁷ Anyone who has the gift of serving should serve. Anyone who has the gift of teaching should teach. ⁸ Whoever has the gift of encouragingexhorting others should encourageexhort. Whoever has the gift of giving to others should give freelygenerously. Anyone who has the gift of being a leader should try hard when he leadslead diligentlylead enthusiastically. Whoever has the gift of showing mercy to others should do so with joycheerfulness.

⁹ Your love must be realsincereunhypocritical. HateAbhorDespise what is evil, and hold oncling to what is good. ¹⁰ LoveBe devoted to each other like brothers and sisterswith family affectionwith brotherly affection. Give each other more honor than you want for yourselvesor Outdo one another in showing honoror Be eager to show honor to one another. ¹¹ Do not be lazy but work hard^Llacking in zeal, serving the Lord with all your hearta fervent spiritan eager spiritan enthusiastic spirit. ¹² Be joyful because you have hope^LRejoice in hope. Be patientEndure when trouble comesin sufferingin tribulation, and pray at all timesfaithfullywith persistencewith perseverance. ¹³ Share with God’s people^Tthe saints who need help. Bring strangers in need into your homesPursue hospitalityBe eager to show hospitality.

¹⁴ Wish good forBless those who harmpersecute you; wish them wellbless and do not curse them. ¹⁵ Be happyRejoice with those who are happyrejoice, and be sadweep with those who are sadweep. ¹⁶ Live in peaceharmony with each other. Do not be proudarroganthaughty, but make friends with those who seem unimportantassociate with the humbleassociate with those of low social statusor be willing to do lowly tasks. Do not think how smartwisesuperior you are.

¹⁷ If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him^LRepay no one evil for evil. Try to door Consider carefully what everyone thinks is rightothers view as goodothers view as honorableis good before all peopleis noble before all people. ¹⁸ Do your best to^LIf possible, from your part, live in peace with everyone. ¹⁹ My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong youtake revengeavenge yourselves, but wait for God to punish them with his anger^Lleave room for (God’s) wrath. [omit]^LFor Iit is written: “I will punish those who do wrong^LVengeance is mine; I will repay themDeut. 32:35,” says the Lord. ²⁰ But you should do this:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him a drink.
Doing this will be like pouringheaping burning coals on his headProv. 25:21–22.”

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