1 Peter 3:13-17
Wycliffe Bible
13 And who is it that shall harm you, if ye be followers and lovers of goodness [if ye shall be good followers]?
14 But also if ye suffer any thing for rightwiseness, ye be blessed; but dread ye not the dread of them, that ye be not disturbed.[a]
15 But hallow ye the Lord Christ in your hearts, and evermore be ye ready to [do] satisfaction to each man asking you reason of that faith and hope that is in you, but with mildness and dread,
16 having good conscience; that in that thing that they backbite of you, they be confounded, which challenge falsely your good conversation in Christ.
17 For it is better that ye do well, and suffer, if the will of God will, than doing evil. [Soothly it is better, if the will of God will, ye well-doing, to suffer, than evil-doing.]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer any thing for rightwiseness, ye be blessed; but dread ye not the dread of them, that ye be not distroubled.
1 Peter 3:13-17
New Matthew Bible
13 Moreover, who is it that will harm you if you follow that which is good? 14 Notwithstanding, happy are you if you suffer for righteousness’ sake. Yea, and fear not, though men seem terrible to you, neither be troubled, 15 but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.
Be ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you – and that with meekness and fear, 16 having a good conscience, so that when they backbite you as evildoers, they may be ashamed, seeing they have falsely accused your good living in Christ.
17 It is better (if the will of God be so) that you suffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing.
Read full chapter
1 Peter 3:13-17
1599 Geneva Bible
13 [a]And who is it that will harm you, if ye follow that which is good?
14 (A)Notwithstanding blessed are ye, if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake. [b]Yea, (B)fear not their [c]fear, neither be troubled.
15 But [d]sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, [e]and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and reverence.
16 Having a good conscience, that when they speak evil of you as of evil doers, they may be ashamed which slander your good conversation in Christ.
17 [f]For it is better (if the will of God be so) that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Peter 3:13 The second argument: when the wicked are provoked, they are more wayward: therefore they must rather be overcome with good turns: And if they cannot be gotten by that means also, yet notwithstanding we shall be blessed, if we suffer for righteousness’ sake.
- 1 Peter 3:14 A most certain counsel in afflictions, be they never so terrible, to be of a constant mind, and to stand fast. But how shall we attain unto it? If we sanctify God in our minds and hearts, that is to say, if we rest upon him, as one that is Almighty, that loveth mankind, that is good and true indeed.
- 1 Peter 3:14 Be not dismayed as they are.
- 1 Peter 3:15 Give him all praise and glory, and hang only on him.
- 1 Peter 3:15 He will have us when we are afflicted for righteousness’ sake, to be careful not for redeeming of our life, either with denying, or renouncing the truth, or with like violence, or any such means: but rather to give an account of our faith boldly, and yet with a meek spirit, and full to godly reverence, that the enemies may not have anything justly to object, but may rather be ashamed of themselves.
- 1 Peter 3:17 A reason which standeth upon two general rules of Christianity, which notwithstanding all men allow not of. The one is, if we must needs suffer afflictions, it is better to suffer wrongfully than rightfully: the other is this, because we are so afflicted, not by hap, but by the will of our God.
1 Peter 3:13-17
Authorized (King James) Version
13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
Read full chapter2001 by Terence P. Noble
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.