1 Peter 2:15

Easy-to-Read Version

When you do good, you stop ignorant people from saying foolish things about you. This is what God wants.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.

King James Version (1611)
For so is the will of God, that with well doing yee may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

King James Version
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

English Standard Version
For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

New American Standard Bible
For such is the will of God, that by doing right you silence the ignorance of foolish people.

New Century Version
It is God's desire that by doing good you should stop foolish people from saying stupid things about you.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Berean Standard Bible
For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Contemporary English Version
God wants you to silence stupid and ignorant people by doing right.

Complete Jewish Bible
For it is God's will that your doing good should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

Darby Translation
Because so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye put to silence the ignorance of senseless men;

Geneva Bible (1587)
For so is the will of God, that by well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of the foolish men,

George Lamsa Translation
For such is the will of God, that by your good works you may silence the mouth of foolish men, who know not God.

Good News Translation
For God wants you to silence the ignorant talk of foolish people by the good things you do.

Lexham English Bible
For the will of God is as follows: by doing good to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

Literal Translation
because so is the will of God, doing good to silence the ignorance of foolish men;

Amplified Bible
For it is the will of God that by doing right you may silence (muzzle, gag) the [culpable] ignorance and irresponsible criticisms of foolish people.

American Standard Version
For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

Bible in Basic English
Because it is God's pleasure that foolish and narrow-minded men may be put to shame by your good behaviour:

Hebrew Names Version
For so is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

International Standard Version
For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorant talkthe ignorance">[fn] of foolish people.Titus 2:8; 1 Peter 2:12;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For so is the will of Aloha, that by your comely works you may shut the mouth of fools who know not Aloha.

Murdock Translation
For so is the pleasure of God, that by your good deeds ye may stop the mouth of the foolish, who know not God:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For so is the wyll of God, that with well doyng, ye may stoppe the mouthes of foolishe and ignoraunt men:

English Revised Version
For so is the will of God, that by well–doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

World English Bible
For so is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free,

Weymouth's New Testament
For it is God's will that by doing what is right you should thus silence the ignorant talk of foolish persons.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For so is the wille of God, that ye do wel, and make the vnkunnyngnesse of vnprudent men to be doumb.

Update Bible Version
For so is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

Webster's Bible Translation
For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

New English Translation
For God wants you to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.

New King James Version
For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--

New Living Translation
It is God's will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.

New Life Bible
This is what God wants. When you do right, you stop foolish men from saying bad things.

New Revised Standard
For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Because, so, is the will of God, - by doing good, to be putting to silence, the ignorance of heedless men:

Douay-Rheims Bible
For so is the will of God, that by doing well you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

Revised Standard Version
For it is God's will that by doing right you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For so is the will of god that ye put to sylence the ygnorancie of the folyshe men:

Young's Literal Translation
because, so is the will of God, doing good, to put to silence the ignorance of the foolish men;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For so is the will of God, that ye with well doynge shulde put to sylence the ignoraunce of folishmen:

Mace New Testament (1729)
and to encourage those who do well. for such is the divine pleasure, that by your good conduct you obviate the cavils of inconsiderate

Simplified Cowboy Version
God's plan is to shut up those who are ignorant and make false accusations against you.

Contextual Overview

¹³ Be willing to serve the people who have authority in this world. Do this for the Lord. Obey the king, the highest authority. ¹⁴ And obey the leaders who are sent by the king. They are sent to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do good. ¹⁵ When you do good, you stop ignorant people from saying foolish things about you. This is what God wants. ¹⁶ Live like free people, but don't use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live as those who are serving God. ¹⁷ Show respect for all people. Love your brothers and sisters in God's family. Respect God, and honor the king. ¹⁸ Slaves, be willing to serve your masters. Do this with all respect. You should obey the masters who are good and kind, and you should obey the masters who are bad. ¹⁹ One of you might have to suffer even when you have done nothing wrong. If you think of God and bear the pain, this pleases God. ²⁰ But if you are punished for doing wrong, there is no reason to praise you for bearing that punishment. But if you suffer for doing good and you are patient, this pleases God. ²¹ This is what you were chosen to do. Christ gave you an example to follow. He suffered for you. So you should do the same as he did: ²² "He never sinned, and he never told a lie."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

so: 1 Peter 4:2, Ephesians 6:6, Ephesians 6:7, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:18

with: 1 Peter 2:12, Job 5:16, Psalms 107:42, Titus 2:8

the ignorance: 1 Timothy 1:13, 2 Peter 2:12, Jude 1:10

foolish: Deuteronomy 32:6, Job 2:10, Psalms 5:5, Proverbs 9:6, Jeremiah 4:22, Matthew 7:26, Matthew 25:2, Romans 1:21, Galatians 3:1, Titus 3:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 30:29 - General Isaiah 5:16 - sanctified Matthew 6:10 - Thy will Matthew 7:21 - that Mark 7:22 - foolishness Acts 17:7 - and these Galatians 6:9 - well Colossians 1:9 - of his Colossians 3:23 - as 1 Peter 4:19 - in

Cross-References

Genesis 2:2
God finished the work he was doing, so on the seventh day he rested from his work.

Genesis 2:8
Then the Lord God planted a garden in the East, in a place named Eden. He put the man he made in that garden.

Job 31:33
I have not tried to hide my sins as some people do. I have never hidden my guilt.

Psalms 128:2
You will get what you work for. You will enjoy the Lord's blessings, and all will go well for you.

Ephesians 4:28
Whoever has been stealing must stop it and start working. They must use their hands for doing something good. Then they will have something to share with those who are poor.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For so is the will of God,.... Which refers not so much to what goes before; though it is a truth, that it is the will of God that men should be subject to magistrates, and that magistrates should encourage virtue, and discourage vice, reward the obedient, and punish delinquents; but to what follows:

that with well doing; by doing good works, and those well; by living soberly, righteously, and godly; by having the conversation honest among the Gentiles, agreeably to the law of God, and as becomes the Gospel of Christ; particularly, by living according to the laws of civil society, so far as is consistent with, and not contrary to the commands of God; and by being subject to every civil magistrate, and ordinance of man:

ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: or, as the Syriac version renders it, "that ye may stop the mouths of those foolish men who know not God"; or, as the Ethiopic version has it, "who know not these things"; who are ignorant of God, of his righteousness, of his law, his Gospel, and ordinances. The Gentiles were very ignorant of these things, and very foolish in their imaginations about religious affairs; and from this their ignorance and folly arose calumnies, reflections, and censures upon the people of God; they neither knew God, nor them, nor true religion, and reproached what they understood not, and for want of knowing it: now the apostle signified, that it was the declared will of God that his people should so behave in civil life, that their enemies should be entirely confounded, and silenced, and have nothing to say against them; the word signifies to be muzzled, to have the mouth shut up, as with a bit or bridle; it is used in Matthew 22:12.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For so is the will of God - That is, it is in accordance with the divine will that in this way you should put them to silence.

That with well doing - By a life of uprightness and benevolence.

Ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men - See the notes at Titus 2:8. The reference here is to men who brought charges against Christians, by accusing them of being inimical to the government, or insubordinate, or guilty of crimes. Such charges, it is well known, were often brought against them by their enemies in the early ages of Christianity. Peter says they were brought by foolish men, perhaps using the word foolish in the sense of evil-disposed, or wicked, as it is often used in the Bible. Yet, though there might be malice at the bottom, the charges were really based on ignorance. They were not thoroughly acquainted with the principles of the Christian religion; and the way to meet those charges was to act in every way as became good citizens, and so as “to live them down.” One of the best ways of meeting the accusations of our enemies is to lead a life of strict integrity. It is not easy for the wicked to reply to this argument.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 15. For so is the will of God — God, as their supreme governor, shows them that it is his will that they should act uprightly and obediently at all times, and thus confound the ignorance of foolish men, who were ready enough to assert that their religion made them bad subjects. The word φιμουν, which we translate put to silence, signifies to muzzle, i.e., stop their mouths, leave them nothing to say; let them assert, but ever be unable to bring proof to support it.