1 Peter 3
New Century Version
Wives and Husbands
3 In the same way, you wives should yield to your husbands. Then, if some husbands do not obey God’s teaching, they will be persuaded to believe without anyone’s saying a word to them. They will be persuaded by the way their wives live. 2 Your husbands will see the pure lives you live with your respect for God. 3 It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful. 4 No, your beauty should come from within you—the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit that will never be destroyed and is very precious to God. 5 In this same way the holy women who lived long ago and followed God made themselves beautiful, yielding to their own husbands. 6 Sarah obeyed Abraham, her husband, and called him her master. And you women are true children of Sarah if you always do what is right and are not afraid.
7 In the same way, you husbands should live with your wives in an understanding way, since they are weaker than you. But show them respect, because God gives them the same blessing he gives you—the grace that gives true life. Do this so that nothing will stop your prayers.
Suffering for Doing Right
8 Finally, all of you should be in agreement, understanding each other, loving each other as family, being kind and humble. 9 Do not do wrong to repay a wrong, and do not insult to repay an insult. But repay with a blessing, because you yourselves were called to do this so that you might receive a blessing. 10 The Scripture says,
“A person must do these things
to enjoy life and have many happy days.
He must not say evil things,
and he must not tell lies.
11 He must stop doing evil and do good.
He must look for peace and work for it.
12 The Lord sees the good people
and listens to their prayers.
But the Lord is against
those who do evil.” Psalm 34:12–16
13 If you are trying hard to do good, no one can really hurt you. 14 But even if you suffer for doing right, you are blessed.
“Don’t be afraid of what they fear;
do not dread those things.” Isaiah 8:12–13
15 But respect Christ as the holy Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have, 16 but answer in a gentle way and with respect. Keep a clear conscience so that those who speak evil of your good life in Christ will be made ashamed. 17 It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong if that is what God wants. 18 Christ himself suffered for sins once. He was not guilty, but he suffered for those who are guilty to bring you to God. His body was killed, but he was made alive in the spirit. 19 And in the spirit he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who refused to obey God long ago in the time of Noah. God was waiting patiently for them while Noah was building the boat. Only a few people—eight in all—were saved by water. 21 And that water is like baptism that now saves you—not the washing of dirt from the body, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. And this is because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. 22 Now Jesus has gone into heaven and is at God’s right side ruling over angels, authorities, and powers.
1 Peter 3
Expanded Bible
Wives and Husbands
3 In the same way [2:18], you wives should ·yield [submit; be subject; Eph. 5:21–24; Col. 3:18; C putting the other person’s interests first] to your husbands. Then, if some husbands do not ·obey [or believe] ·God’s teaching [L the word/message], they will be ·persuaded to believe [won over; L gained] without anyone’s saying a word to them. They will be ·persuaded [won over; L gained] 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 [L in reverence/fear; C fear in the positive sense of reverence for God; Prov. 1:7]. 3 It is not [L external things like] ·fancy [braided; elaborate] hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should ·make you beautiful [L be your adornment]. 4 No, your beauty should come from ·within you [your inner self; L the 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 [L put their hope in] God ·made themselves beautiful [L adorned 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 [L fear 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; L the weaker vessel; C women 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—[L they are co-heirs of] ·the grace that gives true life [or God’s gift of life; L the grace of life]. Do this so that nothing will ·stop [hinder] your prayers.
Suffering for Doing Right
8 Finally, all of you should ·be in agreement [be like-minded; live in harmony], ·understanding each other [sympathetic], ·loving each other as family [L showing brotherly love], being ·kind [tender; compassionate] and humble. 9 Do not ·do wrong to repay a wrong, and do not insult to repay an insult [L repay evil for evil or insult for insult]. But repay with a blessing, because you yourselves were called [C by God] to do this so that you might ·receive [L inherit] a blessing [Luke 6:27–28]. 10 ·The Scripture says [L For],
“·A person must do these things [L The one who wants]
to ·enjoy [L love] life and have many happy days.
He must ·not say evil things [L keep his tongue from evil],
and he must ·not tell lies [L keep his lips from speaking lies].
11 He must ·stop doing [turn away from] evil and do good.
He must ·look for [seek] peace and ·work for [L pursue] it.
12 ·The Lord sees the good people [L The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous]
and ·listens to [L his ears on] their prayers.
But the [L face of the] Lord is against
those who do evil [Ps. 34:12–16; compare Rom. 12:9–17].”
13 If you are ·trying hard [eager; zealous; passionate] to do good, ·no one [L who…?] can really ·hurt [harm; do evil to; mistreat] you. 14 But even if you suffer for ·doing right [righteousness], you are blessed [Matt. 5:10].
“Don’t be afraid of ·what they fear [or their threats/intimidation];
do not ·dread those things [be disturbed/intimidated; Is. 8:12–13].”
15 But ·respect Christ as the holy Lord [L sanctify Christ as Lord; Is. 8:13] in your hearts [C that is, acknowledge his holiness and sovereignty in your life]. Always be ready to ·answer [or give a defense to] everyone who asks you to explain about the hope ·you have [L that is in you], 16 but answer in a ·gentle [humble] way and ·with respect [or with fear/reverence for God]. Keep a ·clear [good] conscience so that ·those who speak evil of [L when you are accused, those slanderers of] your good ·life [behavior; conduct] in Christ will be made ashamed. 17 It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing ·wrong [evil] if that is ·what God wants [the will of God]. 18 Christ himself suffered for sins ·once [or once for all; C only his suffering has the power to redeem others]. ·He was not guilty, but he suffered for those who are guilty [L …the righteous for the unrighteous] to bring you to God. ·His body was killed [L He was put to death in the flesh/body], but he was made alive in the ·spirit [or Spirit; C at his resurrection in a glorified body]. 19 And in the ·spirit [or Spirit] he went and preached to the spirits in prison [C probably either fallen angels, imprisoned by God (see Gen. 6:1–4; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) or the spirits of the people who rejected Noah’s preaching; see v. 20] 20 who refused to obey God long ago in the time of Noah [Gen. 6:1—8:22], when ·God was waiting patiently [L the patience of God waited] while Noah was building the ·boat [ark]. [In this ark; L In it] Only a few people—eight in all—were saved ·by [or through] water. 21 And that water ·is like [anticipates; foreshadows; symbolizes; prefigures] baptism that now saves you—not the ·washing [removal] of dirt from the body, but the ·promise [pledge; appeal; or response] made to God from a ·good [clear] conscience. And this is ·because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead [or through the resurrection of Jesus Christ]. 22 Now Jesus has gone into heaven and is at God’s right side [C the place of honor] ·ruling over angels, authorities, and powers [L with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him].
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.