1 Peter 3:11 (DRB)

Passage

Let him decline from evil and do good: Let him seek after peace and pursue it:

Nearby Context

1 Peter 3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, nor railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing: for unto this are you called, that you may inherit a blessing.

1 Peter 3:10 For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.

1 Peter 3:11 Let him decline from evil and do good: Let him seek after peace and pursue it:

1 Peter 3:12 Because the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto their prayers but the countenance of the Lord upon them that do evil things.

1 Peter 3:13 And who is he that can hurt you, if you be zealous of good?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "decline", "evil", "good", "seek", "after", "peace", and "pursue". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "decline" and "evil", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "For he that will love life and..." into verse 12's "Because the eyes of the Lord are...", so "decline" and "evil" belong inside that flow. In 1 Peter context, the local focus is hope in suffering, holy conduct, submission, and grace.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "decline" and "evil" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.