1 Peter 4:15

New Living Translation

If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people's affairs.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler.

King James Version (1611)
But let none of you suffer as a murtherer, or as a theefe, or as an euill doer, or as a busibody in other mens matters.

King James Version
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

English Standard Version
But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.

New American Standard Bible
Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;

New Century Version
Do not suffer for murder, theft, or any other crime, nor because you trouble other people.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;

Berean Standard Bible
Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or wrongdoer, or even as a meddler.

Contemporary English Version
But you deserve to suffer if you are a murderer, a thief, a crook, or a busybody.

Complete Jewish Bible
Let none of you suffer for being a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or a meddler in other people's affairs.

Darby Translation
Let none of you suffer indeed as murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or as overseer of other people's matters;

Easy-to-Read Version
You may suffer, but don't let it be because you murder, steal, make trouble, or try to control other people's lives.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But let none of you suffer as a murtherer, or as a thiefe, or an euil doer, or as a busibodie in other mens matters.

George Lamsa Translation
But let none of you suffer the fate of a murderer, or a thief, or a malefactor.

Good News Translation
If you suffer, it must not be because you are a murderer or a thief or a criminal or a meddler in other people's affairs.

Lexham English Bible
By all means do not let anyone of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.

Literal Translation
For do not let any of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or as a meddler in the affairs of others.

Amplified Bible
Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or a thief, or any sort of criminal [in response to persecution], or as a troublesome meddler interfering in the affairs of others;

American Standard Version
For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men's matters:

Bible in Basic English
Let no one among you undergo punishment as a taker of life, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer, or as one who is over-interested in other men's business;

Hebrew Names Version
For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil doer, or as a meddler in other men's matters.

International Standard Version
Of course, none of you should suffer for being a murderer, thief, criminal, or troublemaker.1 Thessalonians 4:11; 1 Timothy 5:13; 1 Peter 2:20;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Only, let no man of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as a doer of evils.

Murdock Translation
Only let none of you suffer, as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
See that none of you be punished as a murtherer, or as a thiefe, or an euyll doer, or as a busie body in other mens matters.

English Revised Version
For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil–doer, or as a meddler in other men’s matters:

World English Bible
For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil doer, or as a meddler in other men's matters.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other mens matters,

Weymouth's New Testament
But let not one of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evil-doer, or as a spy upon other people's business.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But no man of you suffre as a mansleere, ethir a theef, ether cursere, ethir a disirere of othere mennus goodis;

Update Bible Version
For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men's matters:

Webster's Bible Translation
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or [as] a thief, or [as] an evil-doer, or as a busy-body in other men's matters.

New English Translation
But let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief or criminal or as a troublemaker.

New King James Version
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters.

New Life Bible
None of you should suffer as one who kills another person or as one who steals or as one who makes trouble or as one who tries to be the boss of other peoples' lives.

New Revised Standard
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For let, none of you, be suffering as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as one prying into other men's affairs;

Douay-Rheims Bible
But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or a railer or coveter of other men’s things.

Revised Standard Version
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a wrongdoer, or a mischief-maker;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Se that none of you suffre as a murtherer or as a thefe or an evyll doar or as a busybody in other mens matters.

Young's Literal Translation
for let none of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evil-doer, or as an inspector into other men's matters;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But se that none of you suffre as a murthurer, or as a thefe, or as an euell doer, or as a busy body in other mens matters.

Mace New Testament (1729)
take care therefore not to suffer upon the account of homicide, or thievery, or for any criminal, or pragmatical practices.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Now, I ain't talking about suffering because you did something wrong.

Contextual Overview

¹² Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. ¹³ Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. ¹⁴ If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. ¹⁵ If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people's affairs. ¹⁶ But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! ¹⁷ For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God's household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God's Good News? ¹⁸ And also, "If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?" ¹⁹ So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

suffer: 1 Peter 2:20, Matthew 5:11, 2 Timothy 2:9

a busybody: ככןפסיןוניףךןנןע [Strong's G244], an inspector of another; meddling with other people's concerns. 1 Thessalonians 4:11, 2 Thessalonians 3:11, 1 Timothy 5:13

Reciprocal: Job 36:21 - this Acts 21:39 - suffer 1 Corinthians 6:10 - thieves 1 Timothy 3:1 - bishop 1 Timothy 4:10 - therefore 1 Timothy 5:14 - give

Cross-References

Genesis 4:24
If someone who kills Cain is punished seven times, then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!"

Leviticus 26:18
"And if, in spite of all this, you still disobey me, I will punish you seven times over for your sins.

Leviticus 26:21
"If even then you remain hostile toward me and refuse to obey me, I will inflict disaster on you seven times over for your sins.

Leviticus 26:24
then I myself will be hostile toward you. I will personally strike you with calamity seven times over for your sins.

Leviticus 26:28
then I will give full vent to my hostility. I myself will punish you seven times over for your sins.

1 Kings 16:7
The message from the Lord against Baasha and his family came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani. It was delivered because Baasha had done what was evil in the Lord 's sight (just as the family of Jeroboam had done), and also because Baasha had destroyed the family of Jeroboam. The Lord 's anger was provoked by Baasha's sins.

Psalms 59:11
Don't kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons; stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees, O Lord our shield.

Psalms 79:12
O Lord, pay back our neighbors seven times for the scorn they have hurled at you.

Proverbs 6:31
But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house.

Ezekiel 9:4
He said to him, "Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But let none of you suffer as a murderer,.... The punishment for murder was death by the law of God, Genesis 9:6

or as a thief; whose fine or mulct, according to the Jewish law, was a fivefold or fourfold restitution, according to the nature of the thing that was stolen, Exodus 22:1

or as an evildoer; a breaker of any of the laws of God or men, which are of a moral nature, and for the good of civil society:

or as a busybody in other men's matters; "or as a bishop in another man's diocese"; that concerns himself in things he has nothing to do with, and neglects his own affairs, and lives in idleness, and upon the spoil of others; or takes upon him to manage, direct, order, and command other men's servants, or persons that do not belong to him, to do his business, or whatsoever he pleases. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, "a desirer of other's goods"; and the Ethiopic version, "a covetous desirer of other's things"; and so is led on by an insatiable thirst for them, to obtain them in an evil way, either by secret fraud, or open violence and oppression. To suffer in any such cases is scandalous and dishonourable, and unbecoming the character of a Christian. This last clause is left out in the Syriac version.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But let none of you suffer as a murderer - If you must be called to suffer, see that it be not for crime. Compare the notes at 1Pe 3:14, 1 Peter 3:17. They were to be careful that their sufferings were brought upon them only in consequence of their religion, and not because any crime could be laid to their charge. If even such charges were brought against them, there should be no pretext furnished for them by their lives.

As an evil doer - As a wicked man; or as guilty of injustice and wrong toward others.

Or as a busy-body in other men’s matters - The Greek word used here ἀλλοτριοεπίσκοπος allotrioepiskopos occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means, properly, an inspector of strange things, or of the things of others. Prof. Robinson (Lexicon) supposes that the word may refer to one who is “a director of heathenism;” but the more obvious signification, and the one commonly adopted, is that which occurs in our translation - one who busies himself with what does not concern him; that is, one who pries into the affairs of another; who attempts to control or direct them as if they were his own. In respect to the vice here condemned, see the notes at Philippians 2:4. Compare 2 Thessalonians 3:11, and 1 Timothy 5:13.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 15. But let none of you suffer - as a busybody in other men's matters — αλλοτριοεπισκοπος. The inspector of another; meddling with other people's concerns, and forgetting their own; such persons are hated of all men. But some think that meddling with those in public office is here intended, as if he had said: Meddle not with the affairs of state, leave public offices and public officers to their own master, strive to live peaceably with all men, and show yourselves to be humble and unaspiring.