Romans 14:16

New King James Version

Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;

Parallel Translations

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

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.

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]

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.

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:

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

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.

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

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.

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];

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:

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;

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

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

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

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.

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:

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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;

Contextual Overview

¹ Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. ² For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. ⁴ Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. ⁵ One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶ He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; [fn] and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. ⁷ For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. ⁸ For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. ⁹ For to this end Christ died and rose [fn] and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. ¹⁰ But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. [fn]

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 you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.

Genesis 14:11
Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way.

Genesis 14:12
They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

Genesis 14:18
Hebrews 7:1,2">[xr] Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.

Genesis 14:19
And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;

1 Samuel 30:8
So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all."

Isaiah 41:2
"Who raised up one from the east? Who in righteousness called him to His feet? Who gave the nations before him, And made him rule over kings? Who gave them as the dust to his sword, As driven stubble to his bow?

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.