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Suffering for Doing Right

Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind.(A) Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse, but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing.(B) 10 For

“Those who desire to love life
    and to see good days,
let them keep their tongues from evil
    and their lips from speaking deceit;
11 let them turn away from evil and do good;
    let them seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

13 Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for doing what is right,[a] you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear,[b] and do not be intimidated,(C) 15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you,(D) 16 yet do it with gentleness and respect. Maintain a good conscience so that, when you are maligned,[c] those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.(E) 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered[d] for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you[e] to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,(F) 19 in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight lives, were saved through water.(G) 21 And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for[f] a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,(H) 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.(I)

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Footnotes

  1. 3.14 Or for righteousness’ sake
  2. 3.14 Gk their fear
  3. 3.16 Other ancient authorities read when they malign you as evildoers
  4. 3.18 Other ancient authorities read died
  5. 3.18 Other ancient authorities read us
  6. 3.21 Or a pledge to God from

Finally, all of you, be one in mind and feeling; love as brothers; and be compassionate and humble-minded, not repaying evil with evil or insult with insult, but, on the contrary, with blessing. For it is to this that you have been called, so that you may receive a blessing. 10 For

“Whoever wants to love life and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit,
11 turn from evil and do good,
seek peace and chase after it.
12 For Adonai keeps his eyes on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayers;
but the face of Adonai is against
those who do evil things.”[a]

13 For who will hurt you if you become zealots for what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for being righteous, you are blessed! Moreover, don’t fear what they fear or be disturbed, 15 but treat the Messiah as holy, as Lord in your hearts;[b] while remaining always ready to give a reasoned answer to anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you — yet with humility and fear, 16 keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are spoken against, those who abuse the good behavior flowing from your union with the Messiah may be put to shame. 17 For if God has in fact willed that you should suffer, it is better that you suffer for doing what is good than for doing what is evil.

18 For the Messiah himself died for sins, once and for all, a righteous person on behalf of unrighteous people, so that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but brought to life by the Spirit; 19 and in this form he went and made a proclamation to the imprisoned spirits, 20 to those who were disobedient long ago, in the days of Noach, when God waited patiently during the building of the ark, in which a few people — to be specific, eight — were delivered by means of water. 21 This also prefigures what delivers us now, the water of immersion, which is not the removal of dirt from the body, but one’s pledge to keep a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah. 22 He has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God,[c] with angels, authorities and powers subject to him.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 3:12 Psalm 34:13-17(12-16)
  2. 1 Peter 3:15 Isaiah 8:12-13
  3. 1 Peter 3:22 Psalm 110:1

Suffering for Doing Good

8-12 Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.

Whoever wants to embrace life
    and see the day fill up with good,
Here’s what you do:
    Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good;
    run after peace for all you’re worth.
God looks on all this with approval,
    listening and responding well to what he’s asked;
But he turns his back
    on those who do evil things.

13-18 If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.

19-22 He went and proclaimed God’s salvation to earlier generations who ended up in the prison of judgment because they wouldn’t listen. You know, even though God waited patiently all the days that Noah built his ship, only a few were saved then, eight to be exact—saved from the water by the water. The waters of baptism do that for you, not by washing away dirt from your skin but by presenting you through Jesus’ resurrection before God with a clear conscience. Jesus has the last word on everything and everyone, from angels to armies. He’s standing right alongside God, and what he says goes.

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Suffering for Doing Good

Finally, all of you, be like-minded,(A) be sympathetic, love one another,(B) be compassionate and humble.(C) Do not repay evil with evil(D) or insult with insult.(E) On the contrary, repay evil with blessing,(F) because to this(G) you were called(H) so that you may inherit a blessing.(I) 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](J)

13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?(K) 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.(L) “Do not fear their threats[b]; do not be frightened.”[c](M) 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer(N) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope(O) that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience,(P) so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.(Q) 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will,(R) to suffer for doing good(S) than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once(T) for sins,(U) the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.(V) He was put to death in the body(W) but made alive in the Spirit.(X) 19 After being made alive,[d] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits(Y) 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently(Z) in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.(AA) In it only a few people, eight in all,(AB) were saved(AC) through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you(AD) also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience(AE) toward God.[e] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,(AF) 22 who has gone into heaven(AG) and is at God’s right hand(AH)—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.(AI)

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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