^4:3For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non-Christians⁴ desire.⁵ You lived then⁶ in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking bouts,⁷ and wanton idolatries.⁸^4:4So⁹ they are astonished¹⁰ when you do not rush with them into the same flood of wickedness, and they vilify you.¹¹

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Footnotes

4 Grk “the Gentiles,” used here of those who are not God’s people.
5 Grk “to accomplish the desire of the Gentiles.”
6 Grk “having gone along,” referring to the readers’ behavior in time past.
7 According to πότος the term refers to a social gathering at which wine is served, hence “drinking parties” (cf. , ). However, the collocation with the other terms in v. 4 suggests something less sophisticated and more along the lines of wild and frenzied drinking bouts.
8 The Greek words here all occur in the plural to describe their common practice in the past.
9 Grk “in/by which,” referring to the change of behavior described in v. 3. The unbelievers are astonished by the readers’ moral transformation. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
10 Or “are surprised, are taken aback.” The same verb occurs in 4:12.
11 Grk “blaspheming,” giving the result of their astonishment. Here the target of their “blasphemy/vilification” is not God but the Christian.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;

NIVNew International Version (2011)

For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the Gentiles choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry. They are surprised that you don’t join them in the same flood of wild living—and they slander you.

NLTNew Living Translation

You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

For the time that has passed was sufficient to do what the Gentiles desire to do, having lived in licentiousness, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries, with respect to which they are surprised when you do not run with them into the same flood of dissipation, and so they revile you.

KJV 1900King James Version

For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

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