12 My Christian friends, God has been very kind to us. Because of that, I really want you to serve God with your whole life. Offer your bodies to him like a sacrifice that continues to live. Serve him with everything that you have and that will please him. That is the true way to worship God. 2 Do not become like the people who belong to this world. But let God completely change the way that you think, so that you live differently. Then you will understand what God wants you to do. You will know what is good. You will know what pleases God. You will know what is completely right.
3 God has been kind to me so that I can serve him. Because of that, I say this to every one of you: Do not think that you are better than you really are. Instead, think about yourself carefully. Decide how much God has helped you to trust him. Then you will know how to serve him well. 4 Each part of our body works in a different way. But all the parts belong to our one body. 5 In the same way, we are many people, but we all belong to Christ, like one body. We also belong to each other, like the different parts of one body belong to each other.
6 God has been kind to us. He has given to each of us different gifts so that we can serve him. God helps some people to speak his messages clearly. Those people should trust God to tell them what to say. 7 God helps some people to serve others. They should do that well. God helps some people to be able to teach others. Those people should teach well.
8 If God has helped you to make others strong, then you should do that. If God has helped you to share your things with others, do that seriously. If God has helped you to be a leader, do that carefully. If God has helped you to be kind to others, do that happily.
9 Really love other people, not like a hypocrite. Hate anything that is bad. Continue to do things that are good. 10 Love each other truly like brothers and sisters. Be really happy to respect other Christians. 11 Do not be lazy, but always work hard. Serve the Lord well because you enjoy it. 12 Be happy, because you can trust God to do what he says. Be patient when you have troubles. Always continue to pray. 13 If any of God's people need anything, then help them with what you have. Always be happy to let people stay in your home.
14 Ask God to bless people who cause trouble for you. Yes, ask him to be kind to them. Do not ask him to do bad things to them. 15 If you are with someone who is happy, you should also be happy. If you are with someone who is sad, you should also be sad. 16 Always try to agree and to be friends with each other. Do not be proud. Be friends with people who are not important. Do not think that you know everything.
17 If someone has done bad things against you, do not do bad things back to them. Try to live in a good way so that people will respect you. They will see that you do good things. 18 If it is possible, try always to be friends with other people.
19 My friends, if someone has done bad things to you, do not try to punish them yourselves. Instead, let God be angry and punish them. This is what is written in the Bible: [ a ]
‘The Lord God says,
“When people do something wrong,
I am the one who will punish them.
I will pay them back.” ’
20 But the Bible also says this: [ b ]
‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
If you help your enemy, he will become ashamed.
He will be sorry because of what he did to you.’
21 Do not let evil things win against you! Instead, do good things. Then you will win against the evil things that people do.
12 So I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, offer your lives [ a ] as a living sacrifice to him—an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him. Considering what he has done, it is only right that you should worship him in this way. 2 Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.
3 God has given me a special gift, and that is why I have something to say to each one of you. Don’t think that you are better than you really are. You must see yourself just as you are. Decide what you are by the faith God has given each of us. 4 Each one of us has one body, and that body has many parts. These parts don’t all do the same thing. 5 In the same way, we are many people, but in Christ we are all one body. We are the parts of that body, and each part belongs to all the others.
6 We all have different gifts. Each gift came because of the grace God gave us. Whoever has the gift of prophecy should use that gift in a way that fits the kind of faith they have. 7 Whoever has the gift of serving should serve. Whoever has the gift of teaching should teach. 8 Whoever has the gift of comforting others should do that. Whoever has the gift of giving to help others should give generously. Whoever has the gift of leading should work hard at it. Whoever has the gift of showing kindness to others should do it gladly.
9 Your love must be real. Hate what is evil. Do only what is good. 10 Love each other in a way that makes you feel close like brothers and sisters. And give each other more honor than you give yourself. 11 As you serve the Lord, work hard and don’t be lazy. Be excited about serving him! 12 Be happy because of the hope you have. Be patient when you have troubles. Pray all the time. 13 Share with God’s people who need help. Look for people who need help and welcome them into your homes.
14 Wish only good for those who treat you badly. Ask God to bless them, not curse them. 15 When others are happy, you should be happy with them. And when others are sad, you should be sad too. 16 Live together in peace with each other. Don’t be proud, but be willing to be friends with people who are not important to others. Don’t think of yourself as smarter than everyone else.
17 If someone does you wrong, don’t try to pay them back by hurting them. Try to do what everyone thinks is right. 18 Do the best you can to live in peace with everyone. 19 My friends, don’t try to punish anyone who does wrong to you. Wait for God to punish them with his anger. In the Scriptures the Lord says,
“I am the one who punishes;
I will pay people back.” ( A )
20 But you should do this:
“If you have enemies who are hungry,
give them something to eat.
If you have enemies who are thirsty,
give them something to drink.
In doing this you will make them feel ashamed. [ b ] ” ( B )
21 Don’t let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good.
12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
12 Therefore ( A ) I urge you, brothers and sisters , by the mercies of God, to ( B ) present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, [ a ] acceptable to God, which is your [ b ] spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not ( C ) be conformed to ( D ) this [ c ] world, but be transformed by the ( E ) renewing of your mind, so that you may [ d ] ( F ) prove what the will of God is, that which is good and [ e ] acceptable and perfect.
3 For through ( G ) the grace given to me I say to everyone among you ( H ) not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to ( I ) each a measure of faith. 4 For ( J ) just as we have many parts in one body and all [ f ] the body’s parts do not have the same function, 5 so we, ( K ) who are many, are ( L ) one body in Christ, and individually parts of one another. 6 However, since we have gifts that ( M ) differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly : if ( N ) prophecy, [ g ] in proportion to one’s faith; 7 if [ h ] ( O ) service, in the act of serving; or the one who ( P ) teaches, in the act of teaching; 8 or the one who [ i ] ( Q ) exhorts, in the work of [ j ] exhortation; the one who gives, with [ k ] ( R ) generosity; ( S ) the one who [ l ] is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with ( T ) cheerfulness.
9 [ m ] ( U ) Love must be free of hypocrisy. ( V ) Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be ( W ) devoted to one another in brotherly love; [ n ] give preference to one another ( X ) in honor, 11 not lagging behind in diligence, ( Y ) fervent in spirit, ( Z ) serving the Lord; 12 ( AA ) rejoicing in hope, ( AB ) persevering in tribulation, ( AC ) devoted to prayer, 13 ( AD ) contributing to the needs of the [ o ] saints, [ p ] ( AE ) practicing hospitality.
14 ( AF ) Bless those who persecute [ q ] you; bless and do not curse. 15 ( AG ) Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 ( AH ) Be of the same mind toward one another; ( AI ) do not be [ r ] haughty in mind, but [ s ] associate with the lowly. ( AJ ) Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 ( AK ) Never repay evil for evil to anyone. [ t ] ( AL ) Respect what is right in the sight of all people. 18 If possible, ( AM ) so far as it depends on you, ( AN ) be at peace with all people. 19 ( AO ) Never take your own revenge, beloved, but [ u ] leave room for the wrath of God , for it is written: “ ( AP ) Vengeance is Mine , I will repay ,” says the Lord. 20 “ ( AQ ) But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head .” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
12 Therefore, I urge you, ( A ) brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, ( B ) holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform ( C ) to the pattern of this world, ( D ) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. ( E ) Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is ( F ) —his good, pleasing ( G ) and perfect will.
3 For by the grace given me ( H ) I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ( I ) 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, ( J ) and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, ( K ) according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, ( L ) then prophesy in accordance with your [ a ] faith; ( M ) 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ( N ) 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; ( O ) if it is giving, then give generously; ( P ) if it is to lead, [ b ] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
9 Love must be sincere. ( Q ) Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ( R ) 10 Be devoted to one another in love. ( S ) Honor one another above yourselves. ( T ) 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, ( U ) serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, ( V ) patient in affliction, ( W ) faithful in prayer. ( X ) 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. ( Y ) Practice hospitality. ( Z )
14 Bless those who persecute you; ( AA ) bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ( AB ) 16 Live in harmony with one another. ( AC ) Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. [ c ] Do not be conceited. ( AD )
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. ( AE ) Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ( AF ) 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ( AG ) 19 Do not take revenge, ( AH ) my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” [ d ] ( AI ) says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” [ e ] ( AJ )
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
