1 Peter 3:8-17

Common English Bible

⁸Finally, all of you be of one mind, sympathetic, lovers of your fellow believers, compassionate, and modest in your opinion of yourselves. ⁹Don’t pay back evil for evil or insult for insult. Instead, give blessing in return. You were called to do this so that you might inherit a blessing. ¹⁰For

those who want to love life
    and see good days
should keep their tongue from evil speaking
    and their lips from speaking lies.
¹¹They should shun evil and do good;
    seek peace and chase after it.
¹²The Lord’s eyes are on the righteous
    and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord cannot tolerate those who do evil.^[a]

¹³Who will harm you if you are zealous for good? ¹⁴But happy are you, even if you suffer because of righteousness! Don’t be terrified or upset by them. ¹⁵Instead, regard Christ the Lord as holy in your hearts. Whenever anyone asks you to speak of your hope, be ready to defend it. ¹⁶Yet do this with respectful humility, maintaining a good conscience. Act in this way so that those who malign your good lifestyle in Christ may be ashamed when they slander you. ¹⁷It is better to suffer for doing good (if this could possibly be God’s will) than for doing evil.

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