1 Peter 2:12

Mace New Testament

souls. Let your behaviour among the Gentiles be virtuous, that instead of inveighing against you as vicious, they may observe your honest behaviour,

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Ride properly when you are around unbelievers. If you ride right, then even if they accuse you of something bad, no one will believe them. You'll honor God in this way.

Bible in Basic English
Being of good behaviour among the Gentiles; so that though they say now that you are evil-doers, they may see your good works and give glory to God when he comes to be their judge.

Darby Translation
having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that [as to that] in which they speak against you as evildoers, they may through [your] good works, [themselves] witnessing [them], glorify God in [the] day of visitation.

World English Bible
having good behavior among the nations, so in that which they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
which war against the soul, Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Weymouth's New Testament
Live honourable lives among the Gentiles, in order that, although they now speak against you as evil-doers, they may yet witness your good conduct, and may glorify God on the day of reward and retribution.

King James Version (1611)
Hauing your conuersation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speake against you as euill doers, they may by your good works which they shall behold, glorifie God in the day of visitation.

Literal Translation
having your behavior good among the nations, in that which they speak against you as evildoers; by observing your good works, they may glorify God in a day of visitation.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and lede an honest conuersacion amonge the Heythen, that they which bacbyte you as euell doers, maye se youre good workes, and prayse God in the daye of visitacion.

Amplified Bible
Keep your behavior excellent among the [unsaved] Gentiles [conduct yourself honorably, with graciousness and integrity], so that for whatever reason they may slander you as evildoers, yet by observing your good deeds they may [instead come to] glorify God in the day of visitation [when He looks upon them with mercy].

American Standard Version
having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Revised Standard Version
Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and se that ye have honest conversacion amonge the getyls that they which backbyte you as evyll doars maye se youre good workes and prayse god in the daye of visitacion.

Update Bible Version
having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Webster's Bible Translation
Having your manner of life honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by [your] good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Young's Literal Translation
having your behaviour among the nations right, that in that which they speak against you as evil-doers, of the good works having beheld, they may glorify God in a day of inspection.

New Century Version
People who do not believe are living all around you and might say that you are doing wrong. Live such good lives that they will see the good things you do and will give glory to God on the day when Christ comes again.

New English Translation
and maintain good conduct among the non-Christians, so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears.

Berean Standard Bible
Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

Contemporary English Version
Always let others see you behaving properly, even though they may still accuse you of doing wrong. Then on the day of judgment, they will honor God by telling the good things they saw you do.

Complete Jewish Bible
but to live such good lives among the pagans that even though they now speak against you as evil-doers, they will, as a result of seeing your good actions, give glory to God on the Day of his coming.

English Standard Version
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles, that they which speake euill of you as of euill doers, may by your good woorkes which they shall see, glorifie God in the day of visitation.

George Lamsa Translation
And let your conduct be good before all men, so that those who speak evil words against you, may see your good works and glorify God at the day of trial.

Christian Standard Bible®
Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation.

Hebrew Names Version
having good behavior among the nations, so in that which they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.

International Standard Version
Continue to live such upright lives among the Gentiles that, when they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God when he visits them in judgment.on the day of visitation">[fn]Matthew 5:16; Luke 19:44; Romans 12:17; 2 Corinthians 8:21; Philippians 2:15; Titus 2:8; 1 Peter 3:16;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And let your conversation be good before all men; and they who speak against you malicious words shall see your good deeds, and shall glorify Aloha in the day of the probation.

Murdock Translation
And let your behavior be decorous before all men; so that they who utter evil speeches against you, may see your good actions, and may praise God in the day of trial.

New King James Version
having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

New Living Translation
Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

New Life Bible
When you are around people who do not know God, be careful how you act. Even if they talk against you as wrong-doers, in the end they will give thanks to God for your good works when Christ comes again.

English Revised Version
having your behaviour seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil–doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

New Revised Standard
Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Having, your behaviour among the nations, honourable, - in order that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may, owing to the honourable works they are permitted to behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Having your conversation good among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by the good works which they shall behold in you, glorify God in the day of visitation.

King James Version
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Lexham English Bible
maintaining your good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in the things in which they slander you as evildoers, by seeing your good deeds they may glorify God on the day of visitation.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And see that ye haue honest conuersation among the gentiles: that where as they backbite you as euyll doers, they may by your good workes whiche they shall see, prayse God in the day of visitation.

Easy-to-Read Version
People who don't believe are living all around you. They may say that you are doing wrong. So live such good lives that they will see the good you do, and they will give glory to God on the day he comes.

New American Standard Bible
Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God on the day of visitation.

Good News Translation
Your conduct among the heathen should be so good that when they accuse you of being evildoers, they will have to recognize your good deeds and so praise God on the Day of his coming.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and haue ye youre conuersacioun good among hethene men, that in that thing that thei bacbite of you, as of mysdoeris, thei biholden you of good werkis, and glorifie God in the dai of visitacioun.

Contextual Overview

⁴ which however rejected it is by men, is the precious stone, which God has chosen: and ⁵ you your selves are as so many living stones, you are the edifice, the spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, agreeable to God by Jesus Christ. ⁶ wherefore it is said in the scripture, I lay in Sion the principal stone of the angle, a choice one of great value: he that ⁷ trusts thereon shall not be confounded. it will prove an honour to you, who believe; but to the incredulous, the same stone, which is the chief of the angle, ⁸ and which the architects rejected, will be an occasion to the incredulous of their stumbling, and bruising themselves thereby: ⁹ and this they were destin'd to. but you are the chosen race, you are kings and priests, the holy nation, the peculiar people, that you might display his glory, who called you out ¹⁰ of darkness into his marvellous light: you, who formerly were not a people, but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy, ¹¹ but at present have obtain'd it. I exhort you, my dear brethren, as strangers and travellers to avoid all sensual passions, as destructive to your ¹² souls. Let your behaviour among the Gentiles be virtuous, that instead of inveighing against you as vicious, they may observe your honest behaviour,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

your conversation: 1 Peter 3:2, Psalms 37:14, Psalms 50:23, 2 Corinthians 1:12, Ephesians 2:3, Ephesians 4:22, Philippians 1:27, 1 Timothy 4:12, Hebrews 13:5, James 3:13, 2 Peter 3:11

honest: Romans 12:17, Romans 13:13, 2 Corinthians 8:21, 2 Corinthians 13:7, Philippians 4:8, 1 Thessalonians 4:12, 1 Timothy 2:2, Hebrews 13:18

among: Genesis 13:7, Genesis 13:8, Philippians 2:15, Philippians 2:16

that: 1 Peter 3:1, 1 Peter 3:16, 1 Peter 4:14-16, Matthew 5:11, Matthew 10:25, Luke 6:22, Acts 24:5, Acts 24:6, Acts 24:13, Acts 25:7

whereas: or, wherein

they may: Matthew 5:16, Titus 2:7, Titus 2:8

glorify: 1 Peter 4:11, Psalms 50:23, Romans 15:9, 1 Corinthians 14:25

the day: Luke 1:68, Luke 19:44, Acts 15:14

Reciprocal: Genesis 31:37 - set it here Genesis 43:21 - we have Exodus 3:16 - visited Ruth 1:6 - visited Ruth 3:14 - Let it not 1 Samuel 29:6 - thou hast Nehemiah 5:9 - reproach Nehemiah 6:6 - It is reported Psalms 8:4 - visitest Ecclesiastes 9:12 - man Song of Solomon 2:2 - General Song of Solomon 8:8 - in the day Isaiah 10:3 - the day Daniel 6:4 - but Zechariah 10:3 - visited Matthew 26:10 - a good Mark 14:6 - a good John 15:8 - is Acts 28:22 - for Ephesians 2:10 - good Ephesians 4:29 - minister Philippians 1:11 - are 1 Timothy 2:10 - with 1 Timothy 5:10 - good 1 Timothy 6:1 - that the 2 Timothy 2:9 - as Titus 2:10 - adorn Titus 2:12 - denying Titus 2:14 - zealous Philemon 1:6 - the acknowledging 1 Peter 1:15 - in 1 Peter 2:15 - with 1 Peter 4:4 - speaking 2 Peter 2:2 - evil

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles,.... To have the conversation honest, is to provide things honest in the sight of men; to live and walk honestly before all; to do those things which are right and honest in the sight of God, and among men; to order the conversation aright, according to the law of God, which is a rule of walk and conversation, and as becomes the Gospel of Christ; and which was the more, and rather to be attended to, because these converted Jews were "among the Gentiles", that knew not God; idolaters, and unbelievers, profane sinners, who were watching for their halting, and that they might take an advantage against them, and the Gospel, and the religion they professed, from their conversations:

that whereas they speak against you as evildoers: charging them with the grossest immoralities, as the Heathens did the Christians in the first ages; which appears evidently from the apologies of Tertullian, Jnstin Martyr, and others; though it seems that the Jewish converts are here intended, who were accused by the Gentiles of seditious principles and practices, and of acting contrary to the laws of civil government, refusing to yield subjection to Gentile magistrates, and obedience to Heathen masters; and hence the apostle, in some following verses, enlarges on those duties, and which he exhorts them to attend unto, that they might put to silence the ignorance of such foolish accusers: and

that they may, by your good works which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation; or "trial", or "examination", as the Syriac version renders it; which may be understood either of human or divine visitation; if of the former, then the sense is, let the saints attend to all the duties of civil life, that when Heathen magistrates come to visit their several districts, and inquire and examine into the conduct of men, and seeing and finding that the Christians behave well and orderly, instead of persecuting them, they will bless God that they are such good subjects; if of divine visitation, which seems most likely, this must either design a visitation by way of judgment, or of mercy; for as the Jews say d, there is פקידה, "a visitation", for good, and a visitation for evil: God sometimes visits in a way of punishment for sin, and sometimes in away of grace, for the good and welfare of men; and then the sense is, that when wicked men take notice of and observe the good works of the saints, their civil, honest, and orderly conversation, they shall glorify God on that account, who has enabled them to perform them; and acknowledge the goodness of them, and the wrong judgment they have passed upon them, and the ill measure they have measured out to them; and this will be, either when God visits them in a way of wrath, as at the day of judgment, or at the time of some temporal calamity before, or when he visits them in a way of mercy, calls them by his grace, and effectually works upon them by his Spirit: the same argument for the performance of good works is used by Christ, in Matthew 5:16.

d Zohar in Gen. fol. 93. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Having your conversation honest - Your conduct. See the notes at Philippians 1:27. That is, lead upright and consistent lives. Compare the notes at Philippians 4:8.

Among the Gentiles - The pagans by whom you are surrounded, and who will certainly observe your conduct. See the notes at 1 Thessalonians 4:12, “That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without.” Compare Romans 13:13.

That, whereas they speak against you as evil doers - Margin, “wherein.” Greek ἐν ᾥ en hō - “in what;” either referring “to time,” and meaning that at the very time when they speak against you in this manner they may be silenced by seeing your upright lives; or meaning “in respect to which” - that is, that in respect to the very matters for which they reproach you they may see by your meek and upright conduct that there is really no ground for reproach. Wetstein adopts the former, but the question which is meant is not very important. Bloomfield supposes it to mean inasmuch, whereas. The sentiment is a correct one, whichever interpretation is adopted. It should be true that at the very time when the enemies of religion reproach us, they should see that we are actuated by Christian principles, and that in the very matter for which we are reproached we are conscientious and honest.

They may, by your good works, which they shall behold - Greek, “which they shall closely or narrowly inspect.” The meaning is, that upon a close and narrow examination, they may see that you are actuated by upright principles, and ultimately be disposed to do you justice. It is to be remembered that the pagan were very little acquainted with the nature of Christianity; and it is known that in the early ages they charged on Christians the most abominable vices, and even accused them of practices at which human nature revolts. The meaning of Peter is, that while they charged these things on Christians, whether from ignorance or malice, they ought so to live as that a more full acquaintance with them, and a closer inspection of their conduct, would disarm their prejudices, and show that their charges were entirely unfounded. The truth taught here is, “that our conduct as Christians should be such as to bear the strictest scrutiny; such that the closest examination will lead our enemies to the conviction that we are upright and honest.” This may be done by every Christian this his religion solemnly requires him to do.

Glorify God - Honor God; that is, that they may be convinced by your conduct of the pure and holy nature of that religion which he has revealed, and be led also to love and worship him. See the notes at Matthew 5:16.

In the day of visitation - Many different opinions have been entertained of the meaning of this phrase, some referring it to the day of judgment; some to times of persecution; some to the destruction of Jerusalem; and some to the time when the gospel was preached among the Gentiles, as a period when God visited them with mercy. The word “visitation” (ἐπισκοπή episkopē,) means the act of visiting or being visited for any purpose, usually with the notion of inspecting conduct, of inflicting punishment, or of conferring favors. Compare Matthew 25:36, Matthew 25:43; Luke 1:68, Luke 1:78; Luke 7:16; Luke 19:44, in the sense of visiting for the purpose of punishing, the word is often used in the Septuagint for the Hebrew פּקד paaqad, though there is no instance in which the word is so used in the New Testament, unless it be in the verse before us. The “visitation” here referred to is undoubtedly that of God; and the reference is to some time when he would make a “visitation” to people for some purpose, and when the fact that the Gentiles had narrowly inspected the conduct of Christians would lead them to honor him.

The only question is, to what visitation of that kind the apostle referred. The prevailing use of the word in the New Testament would seem to lead us to suppose that the “visitation” referred to was designed to confer favors rather than to inflict punishment, and indeed the word seems to have somewhat of a technical character, and to have been familiarly used by Christians to denote God’s coming to people to bless them; to pour out his Spirit upon them; to revive religion. This seems to me to be its meaning here; and, if so, the sense is, that when God appeared among people to accompany the preaching of the gospel with saving power, the result of the observed conduct of Christians would be to lead those around them to honor him by giving up their hearts to Him; that is, their consistent lives would be the means of the revival and extension of true religion. And is it not always so? Is not the pure and holy walk of Christians an occasion of His bending His footsteps down to earth to bless dying sinners, and to scatter spiritual blessings with a liberal hand? Compare the notes at 1 Corinthians 14:24-25.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 12. Having your conversation honest — Living in such a manner among the Gentiles, in whose country ye sojourn, as becomes the Gospel which ye profess.

That whereas they speak against you as evil doers — In all the heathen countries, in the first age of the Church, the Christians and the Jews were confounded together; and as the latter mere everywhere exceedingly troublesome and seditious, the Christians shared in their blame, and suffered no small measure of obloquy and persecution on this very account. It was doubly necessary, therefore, that the Christians should be exceedingly cautious; and that their conduct should prove that, although many of them were of the same nation, yet they who had embraced Christianity differed widely in their spirit and conduct from those, whether Jews or Gentiles, who had not received the faith of Christ.

In the day of visitation. — I believe this refers to the time when God should come to execute judgment on the disobedient Jews, in the destruction of their civil polity, and the subversion of their temple and city. God did at that time put a remarkable difference between the Jews and the Christians: all the former were either destroyed or carried into slavery; not one of the latter: nor did they deserve it; for not one of them had joined in the sedition against the Roman government. That the day of visitation means a time in which punishment should be inflicted, is plain from Isaiah 10:3: And what will ye do in the DAY of VISITATION, and in the desolation which shall come from afar? To whom will ye flee for help? And where will ye leave your glory? Some think that by the phrase in this place is meant the time in which they should be brought before the heathen magistrates, who, after an impartial examination, should find them innocent, and declare them as such; by which God would be glorified, the work appearing to be his own. Others think that it signifies the time in which God should make them the offer of mercy by Jesus Christ. The words, however, may refer to the time in which the Christians should be called to suffer for the testimony of Christ; the heathens, seeing them bear their sufferings with unconquerable patience, were constrained to confess that God was with them; and not a few, from being spectators of their sufferings, became converts to Christianity,