Romans 12:21

New Living Translation

Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good.

Revised Standard Version
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Be not overcome of evyll: But overcome evyll wt goodnes.

Hebrew Names Version
Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

International Standard Version
Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

New American Standard Bible
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

New Century Version
Do not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good.

Update Bible Version
Don't be overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Webster's Bible Translation
Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

English Standard Version
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

World English Bible
Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.

Weymouth's New Testament
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome the evil with goodness.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Nyle thou be ouercomun of yuel, but ouercome thou yuel bi good.

English Revised Version
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Berean Standard Bible
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Contemporary English Version
Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.

Amplified Bible
Do not be overcome and conquered by evil, but overcome evil with good.

American Standard Version
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Bible in Basic English
Do not let evil overcome you, but overcome evil by good.

Complete Jewish Bible
Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Darby Translation
Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Etheridge Translation
Let not evil overcome you, but overcome evil with good.

Murdock Translation
Be ye not overcome by evil; but overcome evil with good.

King James Version (1611)
Be not ouercome of euill, but ouercome euill with good.

New Life Bible
Do not let sin have power over you. Let good have power over sin!

New Revised Standard
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Bee not ouercome of euill, but ouercome euill with goodnesse.

George Lamsa Translation
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Be not overcome by evil: but overcome evil by good.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Be not ouercome of euyll, but ouercome euyll with good.

Good News Translation
Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good.

Christian Standard Bible®
Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

King James Version
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Lexham English Bible
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Literal Translation
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome the evil with good.

Young's Literal Translation
Be not overcome by the evil, but overcome, in the good, the evil.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Be not ouercome with euell, but ouercome thou euell with good.

Mace New Testament (1729)
be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good.

New English Translation
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

New King James Version
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Don't give in to evil. If you want to come out on top, conquer evil with all things good.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Legacy Standard Bible
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Contextual Overview

¹ And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. ³ Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. ⁴ Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, ⁵ so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. ⁶ In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. ⁷ If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. ⁸ If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. ⁹ Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. ¹⁰ Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 16:32, Luke 6:27-30, 1 Peter 3:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 50:21 - I will nourish Numbers 12:13 - General Numbers 16:47 - and ran 1 Samuel 24:17 - thou hast 1 Samuel 25:21 - he hath requited 1 Samuel 30:11 - gave him 2 Samuel 19:43 - the words 1 Kings 13:6 - besought 2 Kings 6:22 - set bread 2 Chronicles 28:10 - not with 2 Chronicles 28:15 - gave them Proverbs 25:21 - General Isaiah 58:7 - to deal Matthew 5:44 - General Matthew 18:15 - thou hast Matthew 18:22 - but Luke 9:56 - And Luke 22:51 - And he John 5:34 - that Romans 12:14 - General Ephesians 4:32 - forgiving

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Be not overcome of evil,.... Neither of the evil one, Satan, who is very busy to stir up the corruption of nature to an hatred of enemies, and to seek revenge; but give no place nor heed unto him, resist him, and he will flee from you, James 4:7; "put on the whole armour of God", Ephesians 6:11, whereby you may defend yourselves, that he cannot touch you: nor of the evil of sin that dwells in you; "for whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage", 2 Peter 2:19; nor of the evil of the man that has done you an injury, as you will be, if you return evil for evil, or take any steps and measures to avenge yourselves; for then not you, but he that has done you the wrong, will be the conqueror:

but overcome evil with good; overcome the evil man, and the evil he has done you, by doing good to him, by feeding him when hungry, by giving him drink when thirsty, by clothing him when naked, and by doing other offices of kindness and humanity to him; which is most likely to win upon him, and of an enemy to make him your friend: and if not, however it will show that you are conquerors, yea, "more than conquerors", Romans 8:37, through the grace and strength of him that has loved you, over Satan, over the corruptions of your own hearts, and over the malice and wickedness of your enemies.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Be not overcome of evil - Be not “vanquished” or “subdued” by injury received from others. Do not suffer your temper to be excited; your Christian principles to be abandoned; your mild, amiable, kind, and benevolent temper to be ruffled by any opposition or injury which you may experience. Maintain your Christian principles amidst all opposition, and thus show the power of the gospel. They are overcome by evil who suffer their temper to be excited, who become enraged and revengeful and who engage in contention with those who injure them; Proverbs 16:22.

But overcome evil with good - That is, subdue or vanquish evil by doing good to others. Show them the loveliness of a better spirit; the power of kindness and benevolence; the value of an amiable, Christian deportment. So doing, you may disarm them of their rage, and be the means of bringing them to better minds.

This is the noble and grand sentiment of the Christian religion. Nothing like this is to be found in the pagan classics; and nothing like it ever existed among pagan nations. Christianity alone has brought forth this lovely and mighty principle; and one design of it is to advance the welfare of man by promoting peace, harmony, and love. The idea of “overcoming evil with good” never occurred to people until the gospel was preached. It never has been acted on except under the influences of the gospel. On this principle God shows kindness; on this principle the Saviour came, and bled, and died; and on this principle all Christians should act in treating their enemies, and in bringing a world to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. If Christians will show benevolence, if they will send forth proofs of love to the ends of the earth, the evils of the world will be overcome. Nor can the nations be converted until Christians act on this great and most important principle of their religion, “on the largest scale possible,” to “overcome evil with good.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 12:21. Be not overcome of evil — Do not, by giving place to evil, become precisely the same character which thou condemnest in another. Overcome evil with good - however frequently he may grieve and injure thee, always repay him with kindness; thy good-will, in the end, may overcome his evil.

1. THOMAS AQUINAS has properly said: Vincitur a malo qui vult peccare in alium, quia ille peccavit in ipsum. "He is overcome of evil who sins against another, because he sins against him." A moral enemy is more easily overcome by kindness than by hostility. Against the latter he arms himself; and all the evil passions of his heart concentrate themselves in opposition to him who is striving to retaliate, by violence, the injurious acts which he has received from him. But where the injured man is labouring to do him good for his evil - to repay his curses with blessings and prayers, his evil passions have no longer any motive, any incentive; his mind relaxes; the turbulence of his passions is calmed; reason and conscience are permitted to speak; he is disarmed, or, in other words, he finds that he has no use for his weapons; he beholds in the injured man a magnanimous friend whose mind is superior to all the insults and injuries which he has received, and who is determined never to permit the heavenly principle that influences his soul to bow itself before the miserable, mean, and wretched spirit of revenge. This amiable man views in his enemy a spirit which he beholds with horror, and he cannot consent to receive into his own bosom a disposition which he sees to be so destructive to another; and he knows that as soon as he begins to avenge himself, he places himself on a par with the unprincipled man whose conduct he has so much reason to blame, and whose spirit he has so much cause to abominate. He who avenges himself receives into his own heart all the evil and disgraceful passions by which his enemy is rendered both wretched and contemptible. There is the voice of eternal reason in "Avenge not yourselves: - overcome evil with good;" as well as the high authority and command of the living God.

2. The reader will, no doubt, have observed with pleasure the skill and address, as well as the Divine wisdom, with which the apostle has handled the important subjects which he has brought forth to view in the preceding chapters. Nothing can be more regular or judicious than his plan of proceeding. He first shows the miserable, wretched, fallen, degraded state of man; next, the merciful provision which God has made for his salvation, and lastly, the use which man should make of the mercies of his God. He shows us, in a most pointed manner, the connection that subsists between the doctrines of the Gospel and practical piety. From the beginning of the first to the end of the eleventh chapter he states and defends the grand truths of Christianity, and from the beginning of the twelfth to the end of the epistle he shows the practical use of these doctrines. This is a point which is rarely considered by professors; multitudes run to the Epistle to the Romans for texts to prop up their peculiar system of doctrine, but how few go to this sacred book for rules relative to holy life! They abound in quotations from the doctrinal parts, but seldom make that use of them which the apostle makes in this chapter. "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, &c." Now we learn from the use which the apostle makes of his doctrines, that whatsoever teaching comes from God leads to a holy and useful life. And if we hold any doctrine that does not excite us to labour after the strictest conformity to the will of God in all our tempers, spirit, and actions, we may rest assured that either that doctrine is not of God, or we make an improper use of it. He that knows God best, loves and resembles him most.