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1 Peter 3
New King James Version

Submission to Husbands

3 Wives, likewise, be (A)submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, (B)they, without a word, may (C)be won by the conduct of their wives, 2 (D)when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3 (E)Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be (F)the hidden person of the heart, with the [a]incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, (G)calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

A Word to Husbands

7 (H)Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, (I)as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, (J)that your prayers may not be hindered.

Called to Blessing

8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be [b]courteous; 9 (K)not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary (L)blessing, knowing that you were called to this, (M)that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For

(N)“He who would love life
And see good days,
(O)Let him [c]refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him (P)turn away from evil and do good;
(Q)Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
(R)And His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Suffering for Right and Wrong

13 (S)And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 (T)But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. (U)“And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But [d]sanctify [e]the Lord God in your hearts, and always (V)be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the (W)hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 (X)having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Christ’s Suffering and Ours

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring [f]us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, [g]when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 (Y)There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (Z)(not the removal of the filth of the flesh, (AA)but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and (AB)is at the right hand of God, (AC)angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 3:4 imperishable
  2. 1 Peter 3:8 NU humble
  3. 1 Peter 3:10 restrain
  4. 1 Peter 3:15 set apart
  5. 1 Peter 3:15 NU Christ as Lord
  6. 1 Peter 3:18 NU, M you
  7. 1 Peter 3:20 NU, M when the longsuffering of God waited patiently
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1 Peter 3
New International Version

3 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves(A) to your own husbands(B) so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over(C) without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.(D) 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self,(E) the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.(F) 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God(G) used to adorn themselves.(H) They submitted themselves to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord.(I) You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

7 Husbands,(J) in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Suffering for Doing Good

8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded,(K) be sympathetic, love one another,(L) be compassionate and humble.(M) 9 Do not repay evil with evil(N) or insult with insult.(O) On the contrary, repay evil with blessing,(P) because to this(Q) you were called(R) so that you may inherit a blessing.(S) 10 For,

“Whoever would love life
    and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
    and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good;
    they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
    and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”[a](T)

13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?(U) 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.(V) “Do not fear their threats[b]; do not be frightened.”[c](W) 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer(X) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope(Y) that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience,(Z) so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.(AA) 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will,(AB) to suffer for doing good(AC) than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once(AD) for sins,(AE) the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.(AF) He was put to death in the body(AG) but made alive in the Spirit.(AH) 19 After being made alive,[d] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits(AI)— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently(AJ) in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.(AK) In it only a few people, eight in all,(AL) were saved(AM) through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you(AN) also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience(AO) toward God.[e] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,(AP) 22 who has gone into heaven(AQ) and is at God’s right hand(AR)—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.(AS)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 3:12 Psalm 34:12-16
  2. 1 Peter 3:14 Or fear what they fear
  3. 1 Peter 3:14 Isaiah 8:12
  4. 1 Peter 3:19 Or but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which also
  5. 1 Peter 3:21 Or but an appeal to God for a clear conscience
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1 Peter 3
English Standard Version

Wives and Husbands

3 Likewise, wives, (A)be subject to your own husbands, so that (B)even if some do not obey the word, (C)they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your (D)respectful and pure conduct. 3 (E)Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be (F)the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, (G)calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and (H)do not fear anything that is frightening.

7 Likewise, (I)husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker (J)vessel, since they are heirs with you[a] of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Suffering for Righteousness' Sake

8 Finally, all of you, (K)have unity of mind, sympathy, (L)brotherly love, (M)a tender heart, and (N)a humble mind. 9 (O)Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, (P)bless, for (Q)to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10 For

(R)“Whoever desires to love life
    and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
    and his lips from speaking deceit;
11 let him turn away from evil and do good;
    let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

13 Now (S)who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 (T)But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. (U)Have no fear of them, (V)nor be troubled, 15 but (W)in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, (X)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 (Y)respect, 16 (Z)having a good conscience, so that, (AA)when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For (AB)it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

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

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 3:7 Some manuscripts since you are joint heirs
  2. 1 Peter 3:18 Some manuscripts died
  3. 1 Peter 3:19 Or the Spirit, in whom
  4. 1 Peter 3:19 Or preached
  5. 1 Peter 3:20 Or when
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1 Peter 3
New American Standard Bible

Godly Living

3 (A)In the same way, you wives, (B)be subject to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be (C)won over without a word by the behavior of their wives, 2 as they observe your pure [a]and respectful behavior. 3 (D)Your adornment must not be merely the external—braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or putting on apparel; 4 but it should be (E)the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this way the holy women of former times, (F)who hoped in God, also used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands, 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, (G)calling him lord; and you have proved to be her children if you do what is right [b](H)without being frightened by any fear.

7 (I)You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with [c](J)someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

8 [d]To sum up, (K)all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, [e](L)loving, (M)compassionate, and (N)humble; 9 (O)not returning evil for evil or (P)insult for insult, but giving a (Q)blessing instead; for (R)you were called for the very purpose that you would (S)inherit a blessing. 10 For,

“(T)The one who desires life, to love and see good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
11 (U)He must turn away from evil and do good;
He must seek peace and pursue it.
12 (V)For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the Lord is against evildoers.”

13 (W)And who is [f]there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should (X)suffer for the sake of righteousness, (Y)you [g]are blessed. (Z)And do not fear their [h]intimidation, and do not be in dread, 15 but [i]sanctify (AA)Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready (AB)to make a [j]defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the (AC)hope that is in you, but (AD)with gentleness and (AE)respect; 16 [k]and keep a (AF)good conscience so that in the thing in which (AG)you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For (AH)it is better, (AI)if [l]God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. 18 For (AJ)Christ also [m]suffered for sins (AK)once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might (AL)bring us to God, having been put to death (AM)in the flesh, but made alive (AN)in the [n]spirit; 19 in [o]which He also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who once were disobedient when the (AO)patience of God (AP)kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of (AQ)the ark, in which a few, that is, (AR)eight (AS)persons, were brought safely through the water. 21 (AT)Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—(AU)not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God [p]for a (AV)good conscience—through (AW)the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 (AX)who is at the right hand of God, (AY)having gone into heaven, (AZ)after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 3:2 Lit with respect
  2. 1 Peter 3:6 Lit and are not
  3. 1 Peter 3:7 Lit a weaker vessel
  4. 1 Peter 3:8 Or Finally
  5. 1 Peter 3:8 I.e., as brothers and sisters
  6. 1 Peter 3:13 Lit the one who will harm you
  7. 1 Peter 3:14 Or would be
  8. 1 Peter 3:14 Lit fear
  9. 1 Peter 3:15 I.e., set apart
  10. 1 Peter 3:15 Or argument; or explanation
  11. 1 Peter 3:16 Lit having a good
  12. 1 Peter 3:17 Lit the will of God
  13. 1 Peter 3:18 One early ms died
  14. 1 Peter 3:18 Or Spirit
  15. 1 Peter 3:19 Or whom
  16. 1 Peter 3:21 Or from
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