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1 Peter 3
Holman Christian Standard Bible

Wives and Husbands

3 In the same way, wives,(A) submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the Christian message,(B) they may be won over[a](C) without a message by the way their wives live(D) 2 when they observe your pure, reverent lives.(E) 3 Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments[b] or fine clothes.(F) 4 Instead, it should consist of what is inside[c] the heart(G) with the imperishable quality of a gentle(H) and quiet(I) spirit, which is very valuable in God’s eyes. 5 For in the past, the holy(J) women who put their hope(K) in God also beautified themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, 6 just as Sarah(L) obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and are not frightened by anything alarming.(M)

7 Husbands,(N) in the same way, live with your wives with an understanding of their weaker nature[d](O) yet showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Do No Evil

8 Now finally, all of you should be like-minded and sympathetic, should love believers,[e](P) and be compassionate(Q) and humble,[f] 9 not paying back evil for evil(R) or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing,(S) since you were called for this, so that you can inherit a blessing.

10 For the(T) one who wants to love life
and to see good days
must keep his tongue from evil(U)
and his lips from speaking deceit,(V)
11 and he must turn away(W) from evil
and do what is good.
He must seek peace(X) and pursue it,
12 because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and His ears are open to their request.
But the face of the Lord is against
those who do what is evil.[g]

Undeserved Suffering

13 And who will harm[h] you if you are deeply committed to what is good?[i] 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness,(Y) you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear(Z) or be disturbed,(AA)[j] 15 but honor[k] the Messiah[l] as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason[m] for the hope that is in you.(AB) 16 However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear,[n][o](AC) so that when you are accused,[p] those who denounce your Christian life[q] will be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer(AD) for doing good, if that should be God’s will,[r] than for doing evil.

18 For Christ also suffered(AE) for sins once for all,[s](AF)
the righteous for the unrighteous,[t]
that He might bring you[u] to God,(AG)
after being put to death in the fleshly realm[v](AH)
but made alive in the spiritual realm.[w]

19 In that state[x] He also went and made a proclamation to the spirits(AI) in prison[y] 20 who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah(AJ) while an ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight people[z](AK)—were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not the removal of the filth of the flesh,(AL) but the pledge[aa] of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.(AM) 22 Now that He has gone into heaven,(AN) He is at God’s right hand(AO) with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 3:1 Lit may be gained
  2. 1 Peter 3:3 Lit and of putting around of gold items
  3. 1 Peter 3:4 Lit Instead, the hidden man of
  4. 1 Peter 3:7 Lit understanding as the weaker vessel
  5. 1 Peter 3:8 Lit sympathetic, loving the brothers
  6. 1 Peter 3:8 Other mss read courteous
  7. 1 Peter 3:12 Ps 34:12-16
  8. 1 Peter 3:13 Or mistreat, or do evil to
  9. 1 Peter 3:13 Or you are partisans for the good; lit you are zealots
  10. 1 Peter 3:14 Is 8:12
  11. 1 Peter 3:15 Or sanctify; lit set apart
  12. 1 Peter 3:15 Other mss read set God
  13. 1 Peter 3:15 Or who demands of you an accounting
  14. 1 Peter 3:16 Lit good
  15. 1 Peter 3:16 Or keeping a clear conscience
  16. 1 Peter 3:16 Other mss read when they speak against you as evildoers
  17. 1 Peter 3:16 Lit your good behavior in Christ
  18. 1 Peter 3:17 Lit if the will of God should will
  19. 1 Peter 3:18 Other mss read died for sins on our behalf; other mss read died for our sins; other mss read died for sins on your behalf
  20. 1 Peter 3:18 Or the Righteous One in the place of the unrighteous many
  21. 1 Peter 3:18 Other mss read us
  22. 1 Peter 3:18 Or in the flesh
  23. 1 Peter 3:18 Or in the spirit, or in the Spirit
  24. 1 Peter 3:19 Or In whom, or At that time, or In which
  25. 1 Peter 3:19 Perhaps fallen supernatural beings or angels; 2Pt 2:4; Jd 6
  26. 1 Peter 3:20 Lit souls
  27. 1 Peter 3:21 Or the appeal
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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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Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

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