1 Thessalonians 5:15 (YLT)

Passage

see no one evil for evil may render to any one, but always that which is good pursue ye, both to one another and to all;

Nearby Context

1 Thessalonians 5:13 and to esteem them very abundantly in love, because of their work; be at peace among yourselves;

1 Thessalonians 5:14 and we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the infirm, be patient unto all;

1 Thessalonians 5:15 see no one evil for evil may render to any one, but always that which is good pursue ye, both to one another and to all;

1 Thessalonians 5:16 always rejoice ye;

1 Thessalonians 5:17 continually pray ye;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "evil", "render", "always", "good", "pursue", "both", and "another". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "evil" and "render", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "and we exhort you brethren admonish the..." into verse 16's "always rejoice ye...", so "evil" and "render" belong inside that flow. In 1 Thessalonians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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