Dedicated Service
12 Therefore (A)I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to (B)present your bodies 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 members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, (K)who are many, are (L)one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that (M)differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if (N)prophecy, [f]according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if [g](O)service, in his serving; or he who (P)teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who (Q)exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with [h](R)liberality; (S)he who [i]leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with (T)cheerfulness.
9 Let (U)love be without hypocrisy. (V)Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be (W)devoted to one another in brotherly love; [j]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 [k]saints, [l](AE)practicing hospitality.
14 (AF)Bless those who persecute [m]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 haughty in mind, but [n]associate with the lowly. (AJ)Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 (AK)Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. [o](AL)Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, (AM)so far as it depends on you, (AN)be at peace with all men. 19 (AO)Never take your own revenge, beloved, but [p]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, and 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.
Footnotes
- Romans 12:1 Or well-pleasing
- Romans 12:1 Or rational
- Romans 12:2 Or age
- Romans 12:2 Or approve
- Romans 12:2 Or well-pleasing
- Romans 12:6 Or in agreement with the faith
- Romans 12:7 Or office of service
- Romans 12:8 Or simplicity
- Romans 12:8 Or gives aid
- Romans 12:10 Or outdo one another in showing honor
- Romans 12:13 Or holy ones
- Romans 12:13 Lit pursuing
- Romans 12:14 Two early mss do not contain you
- Romans 12:16 Or accommodate yourself to lowly things
- Romans 12:17 Lit Take thought for
- Romans 12:19 Lit give a place
Cross references
- Romans 12:1 : 1 Cor 1:10; 2 Cor 10:1-4; Eph 4:1; 1 Pet 2:11
- Romans 12:1 : Rom 6:13, 16, 19; 1 Cor 6:20; Heb 13:15; 1 Pet 2:5
- Romans 12:2 : 1 Pet 1:14
- Romans 12:2 : Matt 13:22; Gal 1:4; 1 John 2:15
- Romans 12:2 : Eph 4:23; Titus 3:5
- Romans 12:2 : Eph 5:10, 17; Col 1:9
- Romans 12:3 : Rom 1:5; 15:15; 1 Cor 3:10; 15:10; Gal 2:9; Eph 3:7f
- Romans 12:3 : Rom 11:20; 12:16
- Romans 12:3 : 1 Cor 7:17; 2 Cor 10:13; Eph 4:7; 1 Pet 4:11
- Romans 12:4 : 1 Cor 12:12-14; Eph 4:4, 16
- Romans 12:5 : 1 Cor 10:17, 33
- Romans 12:5 : 1 Cor 12:20, 27; Eph 4:12, 25
- Romans 12:6 : Rom 12:3; 1 Cor 7:7; 12:4; 1 Pet 4:10
- Romans 12:6 : Acts 13:1; 1 Cor 12:10
- Romans 12:7 : Acts 6:1; 1 Cor 12:5, 28
- Romans 12:7 : Acts 13:1; 1 Cor 12:28; 14:26
- Romans 12:8 : Acts 4:36; 11:23; 13:15
- Romans 12:8 : 2 Cor 8:2; 9:11, 13
- Romans 12:8 : 1 Cor 12:28; 1 Tim 5:17
- Romans 12:8 : 2 Cor 9:7
- Romans 12:9 : 2 Cor 6:6; 1 Tim 1:5
- Romans 12:9 : 1 Thess 5:21f
- Romans 12:10 : John 13:34; 1 Thess 4:9; Heb 13:1; 2 Pet 1:7
- Romans 12:10 : Rom 13:7; Phil 2:3; 1 Pet 2:17
- Romans 12:11 : Acts 18:25
- Romans 12:11 : Acts 20:19
- Romans 12:12 : Rom 5:2
- Romans 12:12 : Heb 10:32, 36
- Romans 12:12 : Acts 1:14
- Romans 12:13 : Rom 15:25; 1 Cor 16:15; 2 Cor 9:1; Heb 6:10
- Romans 12:13 : Matt 25:35; 1 Tim 3:2
- Romans 12:14 : Matt 5:44; Luke 6:28; 1 Cor 4:12
- Romans 12:15 : Job 30:25; Heb 13:3
- Romans 12:16 : Rom 15:5; 2 Cor 13:11; Phil 2:2; 4:2; 1 Pet 3:8
- Romans 12:16 : Rom 11:20; 12:3
- Romans 12:16 : Prov 3:7; Rom 11:25
- Romans 12:17 : Prov 20:22; 24:29; Rom 12:19
- Romans 12:17 : 2 Cor 8:21
- Romans 12:18 : Rom 1:15
- Romans 12:18 : Mark 9:50; Rom 14:19
- Romans 12:19 : Prov 20:22; 24:29; Rom 12:17
- Romans 12:19 : Deut 32:35; Ps 94:1; 1 Thess 4:6; Heb 10:30
- Romans 12:20 : 2 Kin 6:22; Prov 25:21f; Matt 5:44; Luke 6:27