Wives and Husbands

3 In the same way [2:18], you wives should ·yield [submit; be subject; Eph. 5:21–24; Col. 3:18; ^Cputting the other person’s interests first] to your husbands. Then, if some husbands do not ·obey [or believe] ·God’s teaching [^Lthe word/message], they will be ·persuaded to believe [won over; ^Lgained] without anyone’s saying a word to them. They will be ·persuaded [won over; ^Lgained] by ·the way their wives live [their wives’ conduct/behavior]. ² Your husbands will see the pure lives you live ·with your respect for God [^Lin reverence/fear; ^Cfear in the positive sense of reverence for God; Prov. 1:7]. ³ It is not [^Lexternal things like] ·fancy [braided; elaborate] hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should ·make you beautiful [^Lbe your adornment]. ⁴ No, your beauty should come from ·within you [your inner self; ^Lthe hidden/secret person of the heart]—the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit that will never ·be destroyed [fade; perish] and is ·very precious [very valuable; of great worth] to God [Prov. 31:30]. ⁵ In this same way the holy women who lived long ago and ·followed [^Lput their hope in] God ·made themselves beautiful [^Ladorned themselves], ·yielding [submitting; subjecting themselves] to their own husbands. ⁶ Sarah obeyed Abraham, her husband, and called him her ·master [lord; Gen. 18:12]. And you women are true children of Sarah if you always do what is ·right [good] and ·are not afraid [^Lfear no fear/intimidation].

⁷ In the same way [2:18; 3:1], you husbands should live with your wives in an ·understanding [considerate] way [Eph. 5:25–33; Col. 3:19], since they are ·weaker than you [the weaker sex; or the less empowered one; ^Lthe weaker vessel; ^Cwomen are typically physically weaker, but in Greco-Roman and Jewish society, they also had less power and authority]. But ·show them respect [pay/give them honor], because ·God gives them the same blessing he gives you—[^Lthey are co-heirs of] ·the grace that gives true life [or God’s gift of life; ^Lthe grace of life]. Do this so that nothing will ·stop [hinder] your prayers.