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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 and Husbands

In the same way, wives,(A) submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the word,(B) they may be won over(C) without a word by the way their wives live(D) when they observe your pure, reverent lives.(E) Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes,(F) but rather what is inside the heart[a](G)—the imperishable quality of a gentle(H) and quiet(I) spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For in the past, the holy(J) women who put their hope(K) in God also adorned themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, just as Sarah(L) obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and do not fear any intimidation.(M)

Husbands,(N) in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner,(O) showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Do No Evil

Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another,(P) and be compassionate(Q) and humble,[b] not paying back evil for evil(R) or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing,(S) since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.

10 For the(T) one who wants to love life
and to see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil(U)
and his lips from speaking deceit,(V)
11 and let him turn away(W) from evil
and do what is good.
Let him seek peace(X) and pursue it,
12 because 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 what is evil.(Y)

Undeserved Suffering

13 Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness,(Z) you are blessed. Do not fear them[c](AA) or be intimidated,[d](AB) 15 but in your hearts regard[e] Christ[f] the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.(AC) 16 Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience,(AD) so that when you are accused,[g] those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer(AE) for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

18 For Christ also suffered(AF) for sins once for all,(AG) the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God.(AH) He was put to death in the flesh[h](AI) but made alive by the Spirit,[i] 19 in which[j] he also went and made proclamation to the spirits(AJ) in prison 20 who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah(AK) while the ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight people[k](AL)—were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body,(AM) but the pledge[l] of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,(AN) 22 who has gone into heaven(AO) and is at the right hand of God(AP) with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.(AQ)

Footnotes

  1. 3:4 Or rather, the hidden person of the heart
  2. 3:8 Other mss read courteous
  3. 3:14 Or Do not fear what they fear
  4. 3:14 Is 8:12
  5. 3:15 Or sanctify, or set apart
  6. 3:15 Other mss read set God
  7. 3:16 Other mss read when they speak against you as evildoers
  8. 3:18 Or by the flesh, or in the fleshly realm
  9. 3:18 Or in the spirit, or in the Spirit, or in the spiritual realm
  10. 3:19 Or by whom, or in whom, or at that time
  11. 3:20 Or souls
  12. 3:21 Or the appeal