Suffering for Righteousness' Sake

⁸ Finally, all of you, ^(A)have unity of mind, sympathy, ^(B)brotherly love, ^(C)a tender heart, and ^(D)a humble mind. ^9 (E)Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, ^(F)bless, for ^(G)to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. ¹⁰ For

¹³ Now ^(I)who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? ^14 (J)But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. ^(K)Have no fear of them, ^(L)nor be troubled, ¹⁵ but ^(M)in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, ^(N)always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and ^(O)respect, ^16 (P)having a good conscience, so that, ^(Q)when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷ For ^(R)it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

¹⁸ For Christ also ^(S)suffered^{[a] (T)}once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, ^(U)that he might bring us to God, being put to death ^(V)in the flesh but made alive ^(W)in the spirit, ¹⁹ in which^[b] he went and ^(X)proclaimed^[c] to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ because^[d] they formerly did not obey, ^(Y)when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, ^(Z)while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, ^(AA)eight persons, were brought safely through water. ²¹ Baptism, which corresponds to this, ^(AB)now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but ^(AC)as an appeal to God for a good conscience, ^(AD)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and ^(AE)is at the right hand of God, ^(AF)with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.