妻子与丈夫

同样,你们做妻子的,要服从自己的丈夫。这样,即使有不肯信从这话语的丈夫,他们也会被感化[a]过来,不是因着妻子的话语,而是因着妻子的品行, 因为看见了你们怀有敬畏之心的贞洁品行。 你们的美丽之处不应该是外在的,如编头发、戴金饰、穿华服, 而应该是心里面内在的人,带着不朽坏的品性[b],出于谦和、安静的灵;这在神面前是极其贵重的。 实际上,从前盼望神的那些圣洁妇女,也是这样装饰自己,服从自己丈夫的; 就像撒拉顺从亚伯拉罕,称他为主那样;当你们行善而不怕任何惊扰的时候,就成为撒拉的儿女了。

同样,你们做丈夫的,要按情理与妻子同住,将女性当做比较软弱的器皿而尊重她们,也当做是生命之恩的共同继承人。这样,你们的祷告就不会受拦阻。

不要作恶

总而言之,你们大家都要心思一致,互相同情,相爱如弟兄,心存怜悯,满有谦卑[c] 不要以恶报恶,以辱骂还辱骂,反要祝福,因为[d]你们是为此蒙召的,好使你们继承祝福。

10 要知道,“那愿意爱惜生命、
愿意见到好日子的人,
要停止舌头出恶言,
不让嘴唇说诡诈的话;
11 要远离邪恶,要行美善,
要寻求和睦,要竭力追求;
12 因为主的眼睛看顾义人,
主的耳朵垂听他们的祈祷;
但主的脸却敌对作恶的人。”[e]

为义受苦

13 如果你们是为美善而热心[f]的人,谁会伤害你们呢? 14 然而,即使你们为义受苦,也是蒙福的。不要怕他们所惧怕的[g],也不要惊慌不安,[h] 15 只要你们心里尊主基督[i]为圣,无论谁要你们对你们里面的盼望做个交代,你们都要随时预备好答复他; 16 不过要以温柔、敬畏的心答复,并且持守无愧的良心,以致谁诋毁你们在基督里的良好品行,谁就要在你们受到诽谤的事上蒙羞。 17 要知道,即使神的旨意要你们因行善而受苦,也比因作恶而受苦更好,

18 因为基督也曾一次为了赎罪而受苦[j]
就是义的代替不义的,
为要把你们[k]带到神的面前。
照着肉身说,基督固然被处死了;
但照着灵说,他却得以复活了。

19 藉着灵,他也曾去传道给那些被监禁的灵魂, 20 就是从前在挪亚建造方舟的那些日子里,在神耐心等待的时候那些不肯信从的灵魂。当时进入方舟,藉着水获救的人很少,只有八个人[l] 21 这水所象征的洗礼,如今也藉着耶稣基督的复活拯救你们[m],不是清除肉体的污秽,而是向神恳求[n]无愧的良心。 22 耶稣基督已经升天,就在神的右边,天使们、掌权的、有势力的,都服从了他。

Footnotes

  1. 彼得前书 3:1 被感化——原文直译“被赢得”。
  2. 彼得前书 3:4 品性——辅助词语。
  3. 彼得前书 3:8 满有谦卑——有古抄本作“待人友善”。
  4. 彼得前书 3:9 有古抄本附“你们知道”。
  5. 彼得前书 3:12 《诗篇》34:12-16。
  6. 彼得前书 3:13 为美善而热心——有古抄本作“效法美善”。
  7. 彼得前书 3:14 他们所惧怕的——或译作“他们的恐吓”。
  8. 彼得前书 3:14 《以赛亚书》8:12。
  9. 彼得前书 3:15 基督——有古抄本作“——神”。
  10. 彼得前书 3:18 为了赎罪而受苦——有古抄本作“为了赎我们的罪而死”或“为我们的罪孽死了”或“为你们的罪孽死了”。
  11. 彼得前书 3:18 你们——有古抄本作“我们”。
  12. 彼得前书 3:20 人——原文直译“灵魂”。
  13. 彼得前书 3:21 你们——有古抄本作“我们”。
  14. 彼得前书 3:21 恳求——或译作“宣誓”。

夫妻之道

1-2 照樣,作妻子的要順服丈夫。這樣,即使丈夫不信從真道,也會因為看見妻子貞潔和敬虔的品行而被無聲地感化。 你們不要注重外表的妝飾,像編頭髮、戴金飾或穿華麗的衣服, 要以溫柔、嫺靜這些永不褪色的內在美為妝飾,這是上帝所看重的。 從前那些仰賴上帝的聖潔婦女,都是以這些來妝飾自己,並順服自己的丈夫, 正如撒拉順服亞伯拉罕,稱他為主人。所以,如果你們做對的事,不怕恐嚇,就是撒拉的女兒。

你們作丈夫的也一樣,要按情理[a]與妻子共同生活,因為她們比你們軟弱。要敬重她們,因為她們和你們一同承受上帝施恩賜下的生命。這樣,你們的禱告就可以暢通無阻了。

要為義受苦

總而言之,你們要同心合意,互相關懷,彼此相愛,仁慈謙虛。 不要以惡報惡,以辱駡還辱駡,反要祝福對方,這是你們蒙召的目的,好叫你們得到祝福。 10 因為聖經上說:

「若有人熱愛生命,
渴望幸福,
就要舌頭不出惡言,
嘴唇不說詭詐的話。
11 要棄惡行善,竭力追求和睦。
12 因為主的眼睛看顧義人,
祂的耳朵垂聽他們的祈求。
但主必嚴懲作惡之人。」

13 如果你們熱心行善,有誰會害你們呢? 14 就算你們為義受苦,也是有福的。不要害怕別人的恐嚇[b],也不要驚慌, 15 要心裡尊基督為主。如果有人問起你們心中的盼望,你們要隨時準備答覆, 16 但態度要溫和恭敬,存無愧的良心。這樣,那些對你們因信基督而有的好品行妄加誣衊的人會自覺羞愧。 17 如果上帝的旨意是要你們因行善而受苦,這也總比你們因作惡而受苦強。

18 因為基督也曾一次為罪受苦,以無罪之身代替不義之人,為要領你們到上帝面前。祂的肉體雖被處死,但祂藉著聖靈復活了。 19 祂還藉著聖靈向那些監獄中的靈魂傳道, 20 他們就是從前在挪亞造方舟、上帝耐心等候人們悔改的時代中那些不肯信的人。當時進入方舟,從洪水中得救的人很少,只有八個人。 21 這水代表的洗禮現在藉著耶穌基督的復活也拯救了你們。這洗禮要表明的不是除掉肉體的污穢,而是求在上帝面前有無愧的良心。 22 基督已經升到天上,坐在上帝的右邊,眾天使、掌權的、有能力的都服從了祂。

Footnotes

  1. 3·7 按情理」希臘文是「按知識」。
  2. 3·14 不要害怕別人的恐嚇」或譯「不要怕別人所怕的」。

Wives and Husbands

(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 without a word by the conduct of their wives, as they observe your pure conduct with fear. (D)Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on garments; but let it be (E)the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible quality of a lowly and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, (F)who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands, just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, (G)calling him lord. You have become her children if you do good, [a](H)not fearing any intimidation.

(I)You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker (J)vessel, 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.

[b]Now to sum up, (K)all of you be like-minded, sympathetic, (L)brotherly, (M)tender-hearted, and (N)humble in spirit; (O)not returning evil for evil or (P)reviling for reviling, but [c]giving a (Q)blessing instead, for (R)you were called for the very purpose that you might (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 [d]Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the [e]Lord is against those who do evil.”

Suffering for Righteousness

13 (W)And who is [f]there to [g]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 [h]are blessed. (Z)And do not fear their fear, and do not be troubled, 15 but [i]sanctify (AA)Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready (AB)to make [j]a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the (AC)hope that is in you, yet (AD)with gentleness and (AE)fear, 16 having a (AF)good conscience so that in the thing in which (AG)you are slandered, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For (AH)it is better, (AI)if [k]God should will it so, that you suffer for doing good rather than for doing wrong. 18 For (AJ)Christ also suffered for sins (AK)once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might (AL)bring you to God, having been put to death (AM)in the flesh, but made alive (AN)in the [l]spirit; 19 in [m]which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now 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 [n]water. 21 (AT)Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—(AU)not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal [o]of a (AV)good conscience to God—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 3:6 Lit and are not
  2. 1 Peter 3:8 Or Finally
  3. 1 Peter 3:9 Lit blessing instead
  4. 1 Peter 3:12 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Ps 34:15
  5. 1 Peter 3:12 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Ps 34:15
  6. 1 Peter 3:13 Lit the one who will harm you
  7. 1 Peter 3:13 Or do evil against you, cf. 3:9, 10, 11, 12
  8. 1 Peter 3:14 Or would be
  9. 1 Peter 3:15 Set apart
  10. 1 Peter 3:15 Or an argument, an explanation
  11. 1 Peter 3:17 Lit the will of God
  12. 1 Peter 3:18 Or Spirit
  13. 1 Peter 3:19 Or whom
  14. 1 Peter 3:20 The great flood
  15. 1 Peter 3:21 Or for

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, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.(D) 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) 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, 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.

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

Finally, all of you, be like-minded,(K) be sympathetic, love one another,(L) be compassionate and humble.(M) 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