1 Peter 3:11

King James Version

Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and let him turn away from eviland do what is good.Let him seek peace and pursue it,

King James Version (1611)
Let him eschew euil and do good, let him seeke peace and ensue it.

English Standard Version
let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

New American Standard Bible
"HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT.

New Century Version
He must stop doing evil and do good. He must look for peace and work for it.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT.

Berean Standard Bible
He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.

Contemporary English Version
Give up your evil ways and do right, as you find and follow the road that leads to peace.

Complete Jewish Bible
turn from evil and do good, seek peace and chase after it.

Darby Translation
And let him avoid evil, and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it;

Easy-to-Read Version
Stop doing what is wrong, and do good. Look for peace, and do all you can to help people live peacefully.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Let him eschew euil, and do good: let him seeke peace, and folow after it.

George Lamsa Translation
Let him refrain from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

Good News Translation
You must turn away from evil and do good; you must strive for peace with all your heart.

Lexham English Bible
And he must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.

Literal Translation
Let him turn aside from evil, and let him do good. Let him seek peace, and pursue it;

Amplified Bible
"HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM WICKEDNESS AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT. HE MUST SEARCH FOR PEACE [with God, with self, with others] AND PURSUE IT EAGERLY [actively—not merely desiring it].

American Standard Version
And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it.

Bible in Basic English
And let him be turned from evil and do good; searching for peace and going after it with all his heart.

Hebrew Names Version
Let him turn away from evil, and do good. Let him seek shalom, and pursue it.

International Standard Version
He must turn away from evil and do good.Psalm 37:27; Isaiah 1:16-17; Romans 12:18; 14:19; Hebrews 12:14; 3 John 1:1:11;">[xr] He must seek peace and pursue it.

Etheridge Translation
Let him depart from evil and do good, And seek peace and run after it.

Murdock Translation
let him turn away from evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and follow after it.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Let hym eschewe euyll and do good, let hym seke peace and ensue it.

English Revised Version
And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it.

World English Bible
Let him turn away from evil, and do good. Let him seek peace, and pursue it.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Let him turn from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

Weymouth's New Testament
Let him turn from evil, and do good; Let him inquire for peace and go in pursuit of it.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And bowe he from yuel, and do good; seke he pees, and perfitli sue it.

Update Bible Version
And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it.

Webster's Bible Translation
Let him shun evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and pursue it.

New English Translation
And he must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it .

New King James Version
Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.

New Living Translation
Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

New Life Bible
Turn away from what is sinful. Do what is good. Look for peace and go after it.

New Revised Standard
let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Let him turn away from mischief, and do good, Let him seek peace, and pursue it;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let him decline from evil and do good: Let him seek after peace and pursue it:

Revised Standard Version
let him turn away from evil and do right; let him seek peace and pursue it.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Let him eschue evyll and do good: let him seke peace and ensue it.

Young's Literal Translation
let him turn aside from evil, and do good, let him seek peace and pursue it;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Let him eschue euell, & do good: Let him seke peace and ensue it.

Mace New Testament (1729)
he must avoid vice, practise virtue, seek peace, and persevere in the enquiry.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Turn your back on all this world's sorry ways. Snake out a loop and keep an eye out for peace. When you see it, rope it and tie off hard.

Contextual Overview

⁸ Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: ⁹ Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. ¹⁰ For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: ¹¹ Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. ¹² For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. ¹³ And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? ¹⁴ But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; ¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

eschew: Job 1:1, Job 2:3, Job 28:28, Psalms 34:14, Psalms 37:27, Proverbs 3:7, Proverbs 16:6, Proverbs 16:17, Isaiah 1:16, Isaiah 1:17, Matthew 6:13, John 17:15

do: Psalms 125:4, Matthew 5:45, Mark 14:7, Luke 6:9, Luke 6:35, Romans 7:19, Romans 7:21, Galatians 6:10, 1 Timothy 6:18, Hebrews 13:16, James 4:17, 3 John 1:11

seek: Psalms 120:6, Psalms 120:7, Matthew 5:9, Luke 1:79, Romans 5:1, Romans 8:6, Romans 12:18, Romans 14:17, Romans 14:19, Galatians 5:22, Colossians 3:15, Hebrews 12:14, James 3:17, James 3:18

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 6:2 - thy days Judges 11:14 - again unto Psalms 34:12 - What Psalms 119:101 - refrained John 5:29 - done good Romans 12:9 - cleave 1 Corinthians 14:1 - Follow 2 Corinthians 13:11 - live Philippians 2:14 - disputings Philippians 3:12 - I follow 1 Thessalonians 5:15 - ever 1 Timothy 6:11 - and 2 Timothy 2:22 - peace

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Psalms 50:21
These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

Romans 3:20
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Let him eschew evil,.... Avoid all kinds of evil, hate it, abstain from the appearance of it, and have no fellowship with it; and particularly should avoid rendering evil for evil, or taking revenge on persons for doing him ill:

and do good; everything that is good, all good works, according to the will of God, in the exercise of faith, from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God; and without trusting to them, and depending upon them for life and salvation; and particularly do good for evil; do good to all men, acts of kindness and beneficence, even to enemies, and especially to them that are of the household of faith. The Jewish interpreters w on the psalm from whence these words are taken observe, that in the first of these clauses are contained all the negative precepts, whose number with them is three hundred, sixty, and five; and in the latter of them, all the affirmative precepts, which amount to two hundred and forty eight:

let him seek peace and ensue it: "or pursue it"; let him seek after it, in the world, and with all men, as much as possible, yea, with his very enemies; and live a peaceable and quiet life, in the kingdom, city, town, and neighbourhood where he is; and particularly in the church of God, and with the saints; which he should seek with all diligence and eagerness, and pursue with all rigour to the utmost of his power; and endeavour to cultivate all he can, and follow the things which make for it. The note of one of the Jewish commentators x on this passage is, "seek peace", in thine own place; "and pursue it", in another place.

w Aben Ezra & Kimchi in Psal. xxxiv. 14. x Jarchi.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Let him eschew evil - Let him avoid all evil. Compare Job 1:1.

And do good - In any and every way; by endeavoring to promote the happiness of all. Compare the notes at Galatians 6:10.

Let him seek peace, and ensue it - Follow it; that is, practice it. See the Matthew 5:9 note; Romans 12:18 note. The meaning is, that a peaceful spirit will contribute to length of days:

1. A peaceful spirit - a calm, serene, and equal temper of mind - is favorable to health, avoiding those corroding and distracting passions which do so much to wear out the physical energies of the frame; and,

(2)Such a spirit will preserve us from those contentions and strifes to which so many owe their death. Let anyone reflect on the numbers that are killed in duels, in battles, and in brawls, and he will have no difficulty in seeing how a peace fill spirit will contribute to length of days.