Romans 12:19-21

Easy-to-Read Version

¹⁹My 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)

²⁰But 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.^[a]” ^(B)

²¹Don’t let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good.

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Footnotes

Romans 12:20 you will make them feel ashamed Literally, “you will pour burning coals on their head.” People in Old Testament times often put ashes on their heads to show that they were sad or sorry.