1 PET 2:12 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Even as you all live among atheists, maintain your good conduct so that when they slander you by calling you ‘evil’, at the time of God’s judgement they’ll have to honour god when they see your good behaviour.

Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT keeping your behavior among the Gentiles good so that, in whatever they slander you as evildoers, by observing your good works, they might glorify God in the day of visitation.

UST Behave well among those who do not know God in order that, concerning the things you are doing, which they falsely say are evil, they will see that you are actually doing good things and they will honor God when he comes to judge everyone.

BSB 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.

BLB keeping your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that wherein which they speak against you as evildoers, through having witnessed the good deeds, they may glorify God in the day of visitation.

AICNT keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by observing your good deeds, glorify God on the day of visitation.

OEB Let your daily life among the Gentiles be so upright, that, whenever they malign you as evildoers, they may learn, as they watch, from the uprightness of your conduct, to praise God “at the time when he will visit them.”

WEBBE having good behaviour amongst the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God in the day of visitation.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET 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.

LSV having your behavior right among the nations, so that whenever they speak against you as evildoers, seeing [your] good works, they may glorify God in [the] day of inspection.

FBV Be sure to act appropriately when you're with non-Christians, so even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see the good things you do and glorify God when he comes.[fn]

2:12 Literally, “day of visitation.”

TCNT keeping your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God on the day of his visitation.

T4T Keep conducting your lives in a good way among those who do not know God. If you do that, although they may accuse you, saying that you are people who do evil things, they will see your good behavior, and at the time when God comes to judge people, they will ◄give honor to him/say that what he does is right►.

LEB 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.

BBE 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.

Moff Conduct yourselves properly before pagans; so that for all their slander of you as bad characters, they may come to glorify God when you are put upon your trial, by what they see of your good deeds.

Wymth 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.

ASV 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.

DRA 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.

YLT 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.

Drby 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 [fn]God in [the] day of visitation.

2.12 Elohim

RV 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.

SLT Having your turning back good in the nations: that, in what they speak against you as doing evil, from good works, they having beheld, might praise God in the day of inspection.

Wbstr 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.

KJB-1769 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.
(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. )

KJB-1611 Hauing your conuersation honest among the Gentiles, that [fn]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.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation and footnotes)

2:12 Or, wherin.

Bshps 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.
(And see that ye/you_all have honest conversation among the gentiles: that where as they backbite you as evil doers, they may by your good works which they shall see, praise God in the day of visitation.)

Gnva 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.
(And have your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that they which speak evil of you as of evil-doers, may by your good works which they shall see, glorify God in the day of visitation. )

Cvdl 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.
(and lead an honest conversacion among the Heathen, that they which bacbyte you as evil doers, may see your(pl) good works, and praise God in the day of visitation.)

TNT 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.
(and see that ye/you_all have honest conversacion among the getyls that they which backbyte you as evil doars may see your(pl) good works and praise god in the day of visitation. )

Wycl 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.
(and have ye/you_all your(pl) conversacioun good among heathen men, that in that thing that they bacbite of you, as of mysdoeris, they beholden you of good works, and glorify God in the day of visitation.)

Luth und führet einen guten Wandel unter den Heiden, auf daß die, so von euch afterreden als von Übeltätern, eure guten Werke sehen und GOtt preisen, wenn es nun an den Tag kommen wird.
(and leads a good change(n) under the heathens, on/in/to that that, so from you afterreden as from evildoers, your(pl) good work see and God praise, when it now at/to the day coming becomes.)

ClVg conversationem vestram inter gentes habentes bonam: ut in eo quod detrectant de vobis tamquam de malefactoribus, ex bonis operibus vos considerantes, glorificent Deum in die visitationis.[fn]
(conversation your between people/nations having good: as in/into/on by_him that detrectant from/about to_you(pl) as_if from/about malefactoribus, from good works you(pl) considerantes, glorificent God in/into/on day visitation. )

2.12 Ex bonis operibus considerantes. ID. Plerumque contigit, ut pagani qui vituperabant fidem Christianorum, postea considerantes bonam eorum conversationem, Christum laudare inciperent.

2.12 From good works considerantes. ID. Plerumque contigit, as pagani who/which vituperabant faith Christianorum, afterwards considerantes good their conversation, Christ/Messiah to_praise inciperent.

UGNT τὴν ἀναστροφὴν ὑμῶν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἔχοντες καλήν, ἵνα ἐν ᾧ καταλαλοῦσιν ὑμῶν ὡς κακοποιῶν, ἐκ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων ἐποπτεύοντες, δοξάσωσιν τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκοπῆς.
(taʸn anastrofaʸn humōn en tois ethnesin eⱪontes kalaʸn, hina en hō katalalousin humōn hōs kakopoiōn, ek tōn kalōn ergōn epopteuontes, doxasōsin ton Theon en haʸmera episkopaʸs.)

SBL-GNT τὴν ἀναστροφὴν ὑμῶν ⸂ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἔχοντες καλήν⸃, ἵνα, ἐν ᾧ καταλαλοῦσιν ὑμῶν ὡς κακοποιῶν, ἐκ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων ⸀ἐποπτεύοντες δοξάσωσι τὸν θεὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκοπῆς.
(taʸn anastrofaʸn humōn ⸂en tois ethnesin eⱪontes kalaʸn⸃, hina, en hō katalalousin humōn hōs kakopoiōn, ek tōn kalōn ergōn ⸀epopteuontes doxasōsi ton theon en haʸmera episkopaʸs.)

RP-GNT τὴν ἀναστροφὴν ὑμῶν ἔχοντες καλὴν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ἵνα, ἐν ᾧ καταλαλοῦσιν ὑμῶν ὡς κακοποιῶν, ἐκ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων, ἐποπτεύσαντες, δοξάσωσιν τὸν θεὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκοπῆς.
(taʸn anastrofaʸn humōn eⱪontes kalaʸn en tois ethnesin, hina, en hō katalalousin humōn hōs kakopoiōn, ek tōn kalōn ergōn, epopteusantes, doxasōsin ton theon en haʸmera episkopaʸs.)

TC-GNT τὴν ἀναστροφὴν ὑμῶν [fn]ἔχοντες καλὴν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ἵνα, ἐν ᾧ καταλαλοῦσιν ὑμῶν ὡς κακοποιῶν, ἐκ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων, [fn]ἐποπτεύσαντες, δοξάσωσι τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκοπῆς.
(taʸn anastrofaʸn humōn eⱪontes kalaʸn en tois ethnesin, hina, en hō katalalousin humōn hōs kakopoiōn, ek tōn kalōn ergōn, epopteusantes, doxasōsi ton Theon en haʸmera episkopaʸs. )

2:12 εχοντες καλην εν τοις εθνεσιν ¦ εν τοις εθνεσιν εχοντες καλην CT TR

2:12 εποπτευσαντες ¦ εποπτευοντες ECM^† NA SBL TH WH

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:1–12: Christ is the cornerstone and believers are his holy people

In this section Peter used illustrations from the Old Testament to describe how important Christ was and how holy Christians should be. Christ was like the most important stone in a building. Christians belong to him and so should live holy lives.

Some other headings for this section are:

Live as God’s Chosen People (GW)

A Living Stone and a Holy People (CEV)

2:12a–c

Most of Peter’s readers’ neighbors were not Christians. They would watch how the Christians behaved. Peter wanted his readers to behave so well that their unbelieving neighbors would eventually recognize they were good people and praise God for them. Compare the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 5:16.

2:12a

Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that,

Let your conduct/behavior among unbelievers be so good/upright that
Behave so well as you live among your pagan neighbours that
Conduct yourselves righteously in the sight of the people who do not know God.

Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles: Peter wanted the believers to behave in a way that others could see to be righteous. He was talking about their public, outward behavior. A similar expression is found in 1:17c. Another translation suggestion is:

Let your conduct among unbelievers be so good (REB)

the Gentiles: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Gentiles was used by the Jews to refer to non-Jews, people who did not worship the one true God. If there is an expression in your language for people who worship false gods, you could use that here. Some other ways to translate this word are:

unbelievers (GW)

unbelieving neighbors (NLT)

non-Christians (NET)

2:12b

though they slander you as evildoers,

even though they say you are people who do bad things
If you do this, even though they make false accusations against you,

though they slander you as evildoers: There are two ways of understanding the Greek phrase that the BSB translates as though they slander you as evildoers:

It assumes and asserts that people were making accusations. For example:
when they accuse you of being evildoers (GNT) (BSB, NRSV, NIV, KJV, NASB, NJB, NET, GW, REB, GNT)
It suggests that people might make accusations. For example:
Even if they accuse you of doing wrong (NLT) (RSV, CEV, NCV, NLT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Peter was assuming that some of the pagans were actually saying that the Christians were doing evil things.

slander: Peter was speaking about false accusations. The pagans were saying that the believers had done things that they had not done. In your translation, you may need to make it explicit that these accusations were false. One way to do this is to use a word that means “speak falsely against someone.” For example:

malign (REB)

falsely accuse

2:12c

they may see your good deeds and glorify God

they may perhaps see the good things you do, and they may praise God
still, when they see your good behavior, they will have to give God honour/praise

they may see your good deeds and glorify God: The Greek clause that the BSB translates as they may see your good deeds and glorify God is literally “by observing your good deeds they may glorify God.” The purpose for living good lives (2:2a) is that the pagans would glorify God.

see your good deeds: In some languages it may be natural to translate deeds as a phrase with a verb:

see the good things you do

see you do good things

see: The Greek word that the BSB translates as see means “observe closely.” If you have more than one word for see in your language, choose the one that means to watch someone or something attentively.

and glorify God: The word glorify means to give glory, praise, and honor to someone or something. In this context, Peter is saying that even unbelievers will give glory/praise to God in the future. Some other ways to translate glorify God are:

praise God (GW)

give honor to God (NLT)

2:12d

on the day He visits us.

at the time when he will come to us/them.
when he comes to judge people.

on the day He visits us: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as on the day he visits us is literally “on the day of visitation.” The BSB has supplied the information that it was God who was going to visit.

the day: The Greek word that the BSB translates as the day does not necessarily refer to one specific twenty-four hour day. It likely has the more general meaning of “time” or “occasion.” In some languages it may therefore be best to follow the model of the NET:

when he appears (NET)

He visits us: In the Old Testament, the “day of visitation” was a time when God came to people to investigate their conduct. It resulted either in punishment (Isaiah 10:3) or blessing (Genesis 50:24). It is better not to say which it was here. God was going to intervene directly in human affairs. It would be a time of blessing for some and of judgment for others. Some other ways He visits us has been translated include:

he judges the world (NLT)

the Day of his coming (GNT)

when he comes to judge (NRSV)

The BSB has also supplied the pronoun us. It is also possible to translate this as “on the day he visits them.” If you must supply an object pronoun, use one that is as general as possible. Most English translations avoid supplying such a pronoun by using a verb that does not require an object. For example:

on the day when Christ comes again (NCV)

General Comment on 2:12

In the Greek, as in the BSB, 2:12 is one long sentence. In some languages it may be natural to translate this as two or more sentences. For example:

^12aYou should live righteously among your pagan neighbors. ^12bIt is true that they have made false accusations against you. ^12cBut when they see the good things you do, they will glorify God ^12don the day when he appears.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / declarative

τὴν ἀναστροφὴν ὑμῶν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἔχοντες καλήν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τήν ἀναστροφήν ὑμῶν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἔχοντες καλήν ἵνα ἐν ᾧ καταλαλοῦσιν ὑμῶν ὡς κακοποιῶν ἐκ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων ἐποπτεύοντες δοξάσωσι τόν Θεόν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκοπῆς)

Peter is using a statement to give a command. If this is confusing in your language, you can use a more natural form for command, starting a new sentence. Alternate translation: [Keep your behavior among the Gentiles good]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τὴν ἀναστροφὴν ὑμῶν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἔχοντες καλήν

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of behavior, you can express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [behaving well among the Gentiles]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν

among the pagans

Peter uses Gentiles here to refer to people who are not Christians. Just like a Gentile was not a member of the Jewish people, so people who are not Christians are not members of God’s people. If this might confuse your readers, you could express the meaning plainly or use a simile. Alternate translation: [among those who do not believe in Jesus] or [among those who are not Christians]

ἐν ᾧ καταλαλοῦσιν ὑμῶν ὡς

among at which ˱they˲_˓are˒_slandering ˱against˲_you_all as

Alternate translation: [with regard to what they slander you for as ] or [with respect to the very things that they slander you for as]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐκ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων ἐποπτεύοντες

by your good works observing

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of works, you can express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [they may observe the good things that you do]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκοπῆς

among at in ˓the˒_day ˱of˲_visitation

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of visitation, you can express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [on the day when he visits]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom