1 Peter 3:8-4:6

New American Standard Bible

⁸^[a]To sum up, ^(A)all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, ^[b]^(B)loving, ^(C)compassionate, and ^(D)humble; ⁹^(E)not returning evil for evil or ^(F)insult for insult, but giving a ^(G)blessing instead; for ^(H)you were called for the very purpose that you would ^(I)inherit a blessing. ¹⁰For,

“^(J)The one who desires life, to love and see good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
¹¹^(K)He must turn away from evil and do good;
He must seek peace and pursue it.
¹²^(L)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^(M)And who is ^[c]there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? ¹⁴But even if you should ^(N)suffer for the sake of righteousness, ^(O)you ^[d]are blessed. ^(P)And do not fear their ^[e]intimidation, and do not be in dread, ¹⁵but ^[f]sanctify ^(Q)Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready ^(R)to make a ^[g]defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the ^(S)hope that is in you, but ^(T)with gentleness and ^(U)respect; ¹⁶^[h]and keep a ^(V)good conscience so that in the thing in which ^(W)you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. ¹⁷For ^(X)it is better, ^(Y)if ^[i]God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. ¹⁸For ^(Z)Christ also ^[j]suffered for sins ^(AA)once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might ^(AB)bring us to God, having been put to death ^(AC)in the flesh, but made alive ^(AD)in the ^[k]spirit; ¹⁹in ^[l]which He also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison, ²⁰who once were disobedient when the ^(AE)patience of God ^(AF)kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of ^(AG)the ark, in which a few, that is, ^(AH)eight ^(AI)persons, were brought safely through the water. ²¹^(AJ)Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—^(AK)not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God ^[m]for a ^(AL)good conscience—through ^(AM)the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²²^(AN)who is at the right hand of God, ^(AO)having gone into heaven, ^(AP)after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

Keep Fervent in Your Love

4 Therefore, since ^(AQ)Christ has ^[n]suffered in the flesh, ^(AR)arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because ^(AS)the one who has ^[o]suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ²^(AT)so as to live ^(AU)the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human lusts, but for the ^(AV)will of God. ³For ^(AW)the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, ^[p]^(AX)having pursued a course of indecent behavior, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries. ⁴In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them in the same excesses of ^(AY)^[q]debauchery, and they ^(AZ)slander you; ⁵but they will give an account to Him who is ready to judge ^(BA)the living and the dead. ⁶For ^(BB)the gospel has for this purpose been ^[r]preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as people, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.