1 Peter 3
Wycliffe Bible
3 Also women be they subject to their husbands; that if any man believe not to the word[a], by the conversation of women they be won without word.
2 And behold ye in dread your holy conversation.
3 Of whom be there not withoutforth curious adorning of hair, either doing about of gold, either adorning of clothing; [Of which be not withoutforth curious adorning of hair, or doing about of gold, or adorning of clothing of vestments;]
4 but that that is the hid man of heart, in uncorruption, and of mild spirit [in uncorruptibility of quiet and mild spirit], which is rich in the sight of God.
5 For so sometime holy women hoping in God adorned themselves, and were subject to their own husbands.
6 As Sara obeyed to Abraham, and called him lord [calling him lord]; of whom ye be daughters well-doing, and not dreading any perturbation.
7 Also men dwell together, and by knowing give ye honour to the woman's frailty, as to the more feeble, and as to even-heirs of grace and of life, that your prayers be not hindered. [Also men together dwelling, after science, or knowing, giving honour to the woman's vessel, or body, as to the more sick, as and to even-heirs of grace of life, that your prayers be not letted.]
8 And in faith all of one will, in prayer be ye each suffering with other, lovers of brotherhood, merciful, mild, meek; [Forsooth in faith all of one understanding, or will, in prayer be ye compassionate, or each suffering with other, lovers of fraternity, merciful, mild, meek;]
9 not yielding evil for evil, neither cursing for cursing, but on the contrary blessing; for in this thing ye be called, that ye wield blessing by heritage.
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, constrain his tongue from evil, and his lips, that they speak not guile [that they speak no guile].
11 And bow he from evil, and do good; seek he peace, and perfectly follow it [and perfectly sue it].
12 For the eyes of the Lord be on just men, and his ears on the prayers of them; but the face of the Lord is on men that do evils [forsooth the cheer of the Lord is on men doing evils].
13 And who is it that shall harm you, if ye be followers and lovers of goodness [if ye shall be good followers]?
14 But also if ye suffer any thing for rightwiseness, ye be blessed; but dread ye not the dread of them, that ye be not disturbed.[b]
15 But hallow ye the Lord Christ in your hearts, and evermore be ye ready to [do] satisfaction to each man asking you reason of that faith and hope that is in you, but with mildness and dread,
16 having good conscience; that in that thing that they backbite of you, they be confounded, which challenge falsely your good conversation in Christ.
17 For it is better that ye do well, and suffer, if the will of God will, than doing evil. [Soothly it is better, if the will of God will, ye well-doing, to suffer, than evil-doing.]
18 For also Christ once died for our sins, he just for unjust, that he should offer to God us [that he should offer us to God], made dead in flesh, but made quick in Spirit.
19 For which thing he came in Spirit, and also to them that were closed together in prison;
20 which were sometime unbelieveful, when they abided the patience of God in the days of Noah, when the ship was made [when the ark, or ship, was made], in which a few, that is to say, eight souls were made safe by water.
21 And so baptism of like form maketh us safe [The which thing and baptism of like form maketh us safe]; not the putting away of the filths of flesh, but the asking of a good conscience in God, by the again-rising of our Lord Jesus Christ,
22 that is in the right half of God, and swalloweth death [he swallowing death], that we should be made heirs of everlasting life. He went into heaven [He gone into heaven], and angels, and powers, and virtues, be made subject to him.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 3:1 Also women be subject to their husbands; that if any believe not to the word
- 1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer any thing for rightwiseness, ye be blessed; but dread ye not the dread of them, that ye be not distroubled.
1 Peter 3
New Matthew Bible
How wives ought to order themselves toward their husbands and in their apparel. The duty of men toward their wives. He exhorts them all to unite and to love, and patiently to suffer trouble. Of baptism.
3 Likewise, let the wives be subject to their husbands, so that even those who do not believe in the word may without the word be won by the conduct of the wives, 2 when they see your pure living coupled with fear.
3 Your adornment should not be outward, with broided hair and hanging on of gold, or in putting on gorgeous apparel, 4 but let the hid man of the heart be incorrupt, with a meek and quiet spirit – which spirit is before God a thing much set by. 5 For after this manner in the old time did the holy women who trusted in God attire themselves, and were obedient to their husbands, 6 even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, and called him Lord – whose daughters you are as long as you do well, not being afraid of every shadow.
7 Likewise, ye men, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour to the wife as to the weaker vessel, and as to those who are heirs also of the grace of life, so that your prayers be not hindered.
8 In conclusion, be ye all of one mind, suffer with one another, love as brethren, be tender-hearted. Be mild and courteous – 9 not rendering evil for evil, nor rebuke for rebuke, but contrariwise bless, remembering that you are called to this, even so that you may be heirs of blessing. 10 If anyone longs after life and loves to see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. 11 Let him eschew evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
13 Moreover, who is it that will harm you if you follow that which is good? 14 Notwithstanding, happy are you if you suffer for righteousness’ sake. Yea, and fear not, though men seem terrible to you, neither be troubled, 15 but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.
Be ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you – and that with meekness and fear, 16 having a good conscience, so that when they backbite you as evildoers, they may be ashamed, seeing they have falsely accused your good living in Christ.
17 It is better (if the will of God be so) that you suffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, in order to bring us to God; and was killed as concerning the flesh, but was quickened to life in the Spirit. 19 In which Spirit he also went and preached to the spirits who were in prison, 20 who were in time past disobedient, when the longsuffering of God abode exceeding patiently in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, wherein few, that is to say, eight souls, were saved by water. 21 This signifies the baptism that now saves us – not the removal of soil from the flesh, but in that a good conscience consents to God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is on the right hand of God, and has gone into heaven, angels, power, and might subdued to him.
1 Peter 3
Authorized (King James) Version
3 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 2 while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 6 even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. 7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 9 not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. 18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 22 who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
2001 by Terence P. Noble
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.