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 Peter 3:4 imperishable
- 1 Peter 3:8 NU humble
- 1 Peter 3:10 restrain
- 1 Peter 3:15 set apart
- 1 Peter 3:15 NU Christ as Lord
- 1 Peter 3:18 NU, M you
- 1 Peter 3:20 NU, M when the longsuffering of God waited patiently
1 Peter 3
Darby Translation
3 Likewise, wives, [be] subject to your own husbands, that, even if any are disobedient to the word, they may be gained without [the] word by the conversation of the wives,
2 having witnessed your pure conversation [carried out] in fear;
3 whose adorning let it not be that outward one of tressing of hair, and wearing gold, or putting on apparel;
4 but the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible [ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price.
5 For thus also the holy women who have hoped in God heretofore adorned themselves, being subject to their own husbands;
6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose children ye have become, doing good, and not fearing with any kind of consternation.
7 [Ye] husbands likewise, dwell with [them] according to knowledge, as with a weaker, [even] the female, vessel, giving [them] honour, as also fellow-heirs of [the] grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.
8 Finally, [be] all of one mind, sympathising, full of brotherly love, tender hearted, humble minded;
9 not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing; but on the contrary, blessing [others], because ye have been called to this, that ye should inherit blessing.
10 For he that will love life and see good days, let him cause his tongue to cease from evil and his lips that they speak no guile.
11 And let him avoid evil, and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it;
12 because [the] eyes of [the] Lord [are] on [the] righteous, and his ears towards their supplications; but [the] face of [the] Lord [is] against them that do evil.
13 And who shall injure you if ye have become imitators of that which [is] good?
14 But if also ye should suffer for righteousness' sake, blessed [are ye]; but be not afraid of their fear, neither be troubled;
15 but sanctify [the] Lord the Christ in your hearts, and [be] always prepared to [give] an answer [to] every one that asks you to give an account of the hope that [is] in you, but with meekness and fear;
16 having a good conscience, that [as to that] in which they speak against you as evildoers, they may be ashamed who calumniate your good conversation in Christ.
17 For [it is] better, if the will of God should will it, to suffer [as] well-doers than [as] evildoers;
18 for Christ indeed has once suffered for sins, [the] just for [the] unjust, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in flesh, but made alive in [the] Spirit,
19 in which also going he preached to the spirits [which are] in prison,
20 heretofore disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in [the] days of Noah while the ark was preparing, into which few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:
21 which figure also now saves you, [even] baptism, not a putting away of [the] filth of flesh, but [the] demand as before God of a good conscience, by [the] resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22 who is at [the] right hand of God, gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being subjected to him.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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