"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone."
— Romans 12:17 (NIV)
Romans 12:17 is Paul's plain answer to the urge to get even: don't. When someone wrongs you, you do not pay them back in kind, and you keep doing what is right where people can see it. This page gives the verse, what the key Greek words mean, where it sits in Romans 12, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about loving your enemies and Love and enemies.
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The verse
The King James reads: "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men."
"Repay" or "recompense" is apodidōmi (G591), to give back what is owed. "Evil" is kakos (G2556), bad or harmful. "Be careful to do" or "provide" is pronoeō (G4306), to think ahead and plan for. "Right" or "honest" is kalos (G2570), good, fine, honorable. "In the eyes of" or "in the sight of" is enōpion (G1799), before or in front of. "Everyone" is built on pas (G3956), all.
Where it sits in Romans 12
Romans 12 is Paul's picture of love in everyday life. It starts with "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good" (Romans 12:9) and runs through a list of ways that love shows up.
Verse 17 is part of a run about how to treat people who hurt you. Just before it Paul says, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse" (Romans 12:14). Right after it he says, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18), then "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath" (Romans 12:19), and he closes the chapter with "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).
What the verse is saying
The first half is a refusal. Payback feels fair, but Paul says it is not your job. Peter says the same thing: "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing" (1 Peter 3:9).
The second half is a plan. Pronoeō means thinking ahead, so doing right is something you decide before the moment comes, not something you hope to manage when you are angry. And it is done "in the eyes of everyone," which means people around you, including the one who hurt you, should be able to see that you answered wrong with right.
Questions people ask
What does Romans 12:17 say?
In the NIV it says, "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone." The KJV says, "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men."
What does "do not repay evil for evil" mean?
It means you do not answer harm with harm. When someone wrongs you, you do not try to even the score. Romans 12:19 says to leave that to God.
What does "provide things honest in the sight of all men" mean?
It is the KJV wording of the second half of the verse. The Greek word pronoeō means to plan ahead, and kalos means good or honorable. Paul is saying to plan to do what is good in a way other people can see.
What verses go with Romans 12:17?
Romans 12:18 (live at peace with everyone), Romans 12:21 (overcome evil with good), 1 Peter 3:9 (repay evil with blessing), and Matthew 5:44 (love your enemies) are close companions.
Does Romans 12:17 mean I should let people keep hurting me?
The verse is about not taking revenge. The next verse says to live at peace "as far as it depends on you," which recognizes that peace does not always depend on you. Refusing payback is not the same as staying in harm's way.
