Romans 14:16

Complete Jewish Bible

Do not let what you know to be good, be spoken of as bad;

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore, do not let your good be slandered,

King James Version (1611)
Let not then your good be euill spoken of.

King James Version
Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

English Standard Version
So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.

New American Standard Bible
Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;

New Century Version
Do not allow what you think is good to become what others say is evil.

Amplified Bible
Therefore do not let what is a good thing for you [because of your freedom to choose] be spoken of as evil [by someone else];

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be slandered;

Berean Standard Bible
Do not allow what you consider good, then, to be spoken of as evil.

Contemporary English Version
Don't let your right to eat bring shame to Christ.

Darby Translation
Let not then your good be evil spoken of;

Easy-to-Read Version
Don't allow what is good for you to become something they say is evil.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Cause not your commoditie to be euill spoken of.

George Lamsa Translation
Let not our blessings be a reproach to any one:

Good News Translation
Do not let what you regard as good get a bad name.

Lexham English Bible
Therefore do not let your good be slandered.

Literal Translation
Then do not let your good be spoken evil of.

American Standard Version
Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

Bible in Basic English
Let it not be possible for men to say evil about your good:

Hebrew Names Version
Then don't let your good be slandered,

International Standard Version
Do not allow your good to be spoken of as evil.Romans 12:17;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Let not our good [fn] (things) be blasphemed.

Murdock Translation
And let not our good thing be matter of reproach.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Let not your good be euyll spoken of.

English Revised Version
Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

World English Bible
Then don't let your good be slandered,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Therefore let not your good be evil spoken of.

Weymouth's New Testament
Therefore do not let the boon which is yours in common be exposed to reproach.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor be not oure good thing blasfemed.

Update Bible Version
Don't let then your good be evil spoken of:

Webster's Bible Translation
Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

New English Translation
Therefore do not let what you consider good be spoken of as evil.

New King James Version
Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;

New Living Translation
Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good.

New Life Bible
Do not let what is good for you be talked about as bad.

New Revised Standard
So do not let your good be spoken of as evil.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Therefore, suffer not to be defamed, your own good thing;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let not then our good be evil spoken of.

Revised Standard Version
So do not let your good be spoken of as evil.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Cause not youre treasure to be evyll spoken of.

Young's Literal Translation
Let not, then, your good be evil spoken of,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Se therfore that youre treasure be not euell spoke of.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Don't let our religion then be expos'd to reproach.

Simplified Cowboy Version
You'll be blameless if you act this way.

Contextual Overview

¹ Now as for a person whose trust is weak, welcome him — but not to get into arguments over opinions. ² One person has the trust that will allow him to eat anything, while another whose trust is weak eats only vegetables. ³ The one who eats anything must not look down on the one who abstains; and the abstainer must not pass judgment on the one who eats anything, because God has accepted him — ⁴ who are you to pass judgment on someone else's servant? It is before his own master that he will stand or fall; and the fact is that he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand. ⁵ One person considers some days more holy than others, while someone else regards them as being all alike. What is important is for each to be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶ He who observes a day as special does so to honor the Lord. Also he who eats anything, eats to honor the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; likewise the abstainer abstains to honor the Lord, and he too gives thanks to God. ⁷ For none of us lives only in relation to himself, and none of us dies only in relation to himself; ⁸ for if we live, we live in relation to the Lord; and if we die, we die in relation to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord — ⁹ indeed, it was for this very reason that the Messiah died and came back to life, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. ¹⁰ You then, why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For all of us will stand before God's judgment seat;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Romans 12:17, 1 Corinthians 10:29, 1 Corinthians 10:30, 2 Corinthians 8:20, 2 Corinthians 8:21, 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Reciprocal: Ruth 3:14 - Let it not Ephesians 5:2 - walk

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing.

Genesis 14:11
The victors took all the possessions of S'dom and ‘Amora and all their food supply; then they left.

Genesis 14:12
But as they left, they took Lot, Avram's brother's son, and his possessions; since he was living in S'dom.

Genesis 14:18
Malki-Tzedek king of Shalem brought out bread and wine. He was cohen of El ‘Elyon [God Most High],

Genesis 14:19
so he blessed him with these words: "Blessed be Avram by El ‘Elyon, maker of heaven of earth.

1 Samuel 30:8
Then David consulted Adonai . He asked, "Should I go in pursuit of these raiders? Will I catch up with them?" And [ Adonai ] answered him, "Go in pursuit, because you will overtake them and recover everyone and everything."

Isaiah 41:2
Who has raised from the east one who is just and called him to be in his service? He hands nations over to him and subjects kings to him; his sword reduces them to dust, his bow to driven straw.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Let not then your good be evil spoken of. The Vulgate Latin reads it, "our good", and so the Syriac version; the sense is the same, and to be understood either of the Gospel in general, which is good in its author, matter, effects, and consequences; is good tidings of good things, and which might be blasphemed by the men of the world, on account of the divisions and contentions among the professors of it, about such little trivial things, as eating this or the other sort of food; and therefore care should be taken, that it be not evil spoken of through such conduct: or else the doctrine of Christian liberty in particular, which is a good thing; Christ has procured it, and bestows it upon his people; it is a valuable blessing in itself, and is attended and followed with many considerable privileges and immunities; but may be evil spoken of by those, who do not so well understand it, through an imprudent use of it by those who do; and who therefore should guard against any reproach that may be cast upon it; and rather than this should be the case, forego the use of it, in things of an indifferent nature; see 1 Corinthians 10:30; so that this is another of the apostle's reasons, why though nothing is of itself unclean, yet it should be abstained from on account of others.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Let not then your good ... - That which you esteem to be right, and which may be right in itself. You are not bound by the ceremonial law. You are free from the yoke of bondage This freedom you esteem to be a good - a favor - a high privilege. And so it is; but you should not make such a use of it as to do injury to others.

Be evil spoken of - Greek, Be blasphemed. Do not so use your Christian liberty as to give occasion for railing and unkind remarks from your brethren, so as to produce contention and strife, and thus to give rise to evil reports among the wicked about the tendency of the Christian religion, as if it were adapted only to promote controversy. How much strife would have been avoided if all Christians had regarded this plain rule. In relation to dress, and rites, and ceremonies in the church, we may be conscious that we are right; but an obstinate adherence to them may only give rise to contention and angry discussions, and to evil reports among men, of the tendency of religion. In such a case we should yield our private, unimportant personal indulgence to the good of the cause of religion and of peace.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 14:16. Let not then your good be evil spoken of — Do not make such a use of your Christian liberty as to subject the Gospel itself to reproach. Whatsoever you do, do it in such a manner, spirit, and time, as to make it productive of the greatest possible good. There are many who have such an unhappy method of doing their good acts, as not only to do little or no good by them, but a great deal of evil. It requires much prudence and watchfulness to find out the proper time of performing even a good action.