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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Romans 14:16

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

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Charitableness;   Commandments;   Conscience;   Evil;   Expediency;   Fellowship;   Prudence;   Self-Denial;   The Topic Concordance - Meat;   Sacrifice;   Servants;   Stumbling/slipping;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Idol, idolatry;   Kingdom of god;   Self-discipline;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Blasphemy;   Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit;   Law of Christ;   Strong and Weak;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Blasphemy;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Paul;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Food Offered to Idols;   Romans, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ethics;   Evil Speaking;   Judging;   Romans, Epistle to the;   Wine and Strong Drink;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Boyhood of Jesus;   Commandment;   Evil-Speaking;   Goodness (Human);   Romans Epistle to the;   Salvation Save Saviour;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Interesting facts about the bible;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Blasphemy;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Drunkenness;   Evil-Speaking;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Saul of Tarsus;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for December 24;   Every Day Light - Devotion for May 30;  

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.
Complete Jewish Bible
Do not let what you know to be good, be spoken of as bad;
Darby Translation
Let not then your good be evil spoken of;
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 Be willing to accept those who still have doubts about what believers can do. And don't argue with them about their different ideas. 2 Some people believe they can eat any kind of food, but those who have doubts eat only vegetables. 3 Those who know they can eat any kind of food must not feel that they are better than those who eat only vegetables. And those who eat only vegetables must not decide that those who eat all foods are wrong. God has accepted them. 4 You cannot judge the servants of someone else. Their own master decides if they are doing right or wrong. And the Lord's servants will be right, because the Lord is able to make them right. 5 Some people might believe that one day is more important than another. And others might believe that every day is the same. Everyone should be sure about their beliefs in their own mind. 6 Those who think one day is more important than other days are doing that for the Lord. And those who eat all kinds of food are doing that for the Lord. Yes, they give thanks to God for that food. And those who refuse to eat some foods do that for the Lord. They also give thanks to God. 7 We don't live or die just for ourselves. 8 If we live, we are living for the Lord. And if we die, we are dying for the Lord. So living or dying, we belong to the Lord. 9 That is why Christ died and rose from death to live again—so that he could be Lord over those who have died and those who are living. 10 So why do you judge your brother or sister in Christ? Or why do you think that you are better than they are? We will all stand before God, and he will judge us all.

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 build a great nation from you. I will bless you and make your name famous. People will use your name to bless other people.
Genesis 14:11
So Kedorlaomer and his armies took everything that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah owned. They took all their food and clothing and left.
Genesis 14:12
Lot, the son of Abram's brother, was living in Sodom, and they captured him. They also took everything he owned and left.
Genesis 14:18
Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, also went to meet Abram. He brought bread and wine.
Genesis 14:19
He blessed Abram and said, "Abram, may you be blessed by God Most High, the one who made heaven and earth.
1 Samuel 30:8
Then David prayed to the Lord . "Should I chase the people who took our families? Will I catch them?" The Lord answered, "Chase them. You will catch them, and you will save your families."
Isaiah 41:2
Who woke up the man who is coming from the east? He called Justice to march with him. He uses his sword to crush nations. He uses his bow and conquers kings— they run away like straw blown by the wind.

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.


 
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