1 Peter 3
Complete Jewish Bible
3 In the same way, wives, submit to your husbands; so that even if some of them do not believe the Word, they will be won over by your conduct, without your saying anything, 2 as they see your respectful and pure behavior. 3 Your beauty should not consist in externals such as fancy hairstyles, gold jewelry or what you wear; 4 rather, let it be the inner character of your heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit. In God’s sight this is of great value. 5 This is how the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves and submit to their husbands, 6 the way Sarah obeyed Avraham, honoring him as her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not succumb to fear.
7 You husbands, likewise, conduct your married lives with understanding. Although your wife may be weaker physically, you should respect her as a fellow-heir of the gift of Life. If you don’t, your prayers will be blocked.
8 Finally, all of you, be one in mind and feeling; love as brothers; and be compassionate and humble-minded, 9 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.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 3:12 Psalm 34:13-17(12-16)
- 1 Peter 3:15 Isaiah 8:12-13
- 1 Peter 3:22 Psalm 110:1
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 Peter 3:2 Lit with respect
- 1 Peter 3:6 Lit and are not
- 1 Peter 3:7 Lit a weaker vessel
- 1 Peter 3:8 Or Finally
- 1 Peter 3:8 I.e., as brothers and sisters
- 1 Peter 3:13 Lit the one who will harm you
- 1 Peter 3:14 Or would be
- 1 Peter 3:14 Lit fear
- 1 Peter 3:15 I.e., set apart
- 1 Peter 3:15 Or argument; or explanation
- 1 Peter 3:16 Lit having a good
- 1 Peter 3:17 Lit the will of God
- 1 Peter 3:18 One early ms died
- 1 Peter 3:18 Or Spirit
- 1 Peter 3:19 Or whom
- 1 Peter 3:21 Or from
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
