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Wives and Husbands

(A) If you are a wife, you must put your husband first. Even if he opposes our message, you will win him over by what you do. No one else will have to say anything to him, because he will see how you honor God and live a pure life. (B) Don't depend on things like fancy hairdos or gold jewelry or expensive clothes to make you look beautiful. Be beautiful in your heart by being gentle and quiet. This kind of beauty will last, and God considers it very special.

Long ago those women who worshiped God and put their hope in him made themselves beautiful by putting their husbands first. For example, Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her true children, if you do right and don't let anything frighten you.

(C) If you are a husband, you should be thoughtful of your wife. Treat her with honor, because she isn't as strong as you are, and she shares with you in the gift of life. Then nothing will stand in the way of your prayers.

Suffering for Doing Right

Finally, all of you should agree and have concern and love for each other. You should also be kind and humble. Don't be hateful and insult people just because they are hateful and insult you. Instead, treat everyone with kindness. You are God's chosen ones, and he will bless you. The Scriptures say,

10 (D) “Do you really love life?
    Do you want to be happy?
Then stop saying cruel things
    and quit telling lies.
11 Give up your evil ways
    and do right,
as you find and follow
    the road to peace.
12 The Lord watches over
    everyone who obeys him,
and he listens
    to their prayers.
But he opposes everyone
    who does evil.”

13 Can anyone really harm you for being eager to do good deeds? 14 (E)(F) Even if you have to suffer for doing good things, God will bless you. So stop being afraid and don't worry about what people might do. 15 Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life.

Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope. 16 Give a kind and respectful answer and keep your conscience clear. This way you will make people ashamed for saying bad things about your good conduct as a follower of Christ. 17 You are better off to obey God and suffer for doing right than to suffer for doing wrong.

18 Christ died once for our sins.
An innocent person died
    for those who are guilty.
Christ did this
    to bring you to God,
when his body
    was put to death
and his spirit
    was made alive.

19 Christ then preached to the spirits that were being kept in prison. 20 (G)(H) They had disobeyed God while Noah was building the boat, but God had been patient with them. Eight people went into that boat and were brought safely through the flood.

21 Those flood waters were like baptism that now saves you. But baptism is more than just washing your body. It means turning to God with a clear conscience, because Jesus Christ was raised from death. 22 Christ is now in heaven, where he sits at the right side[a] of God. All angels, authorities, and powers are under his control.

Footnotes

  1. 3.22 right side: The place of honor and power.

¶ Asimismo vosotras, mujeres, estad sujetas a vuestros maridos; para que también los que no obedecen a la Palabra, sean ganados sin palabra por la conversación de sus mujeres,

considerando vuestra casta conversación, que es en temor.

El adorno de las cuales no sea exterior con peinado ostentoso, y atavío de oro, ni en compostura de ropas;

sino el adorno interior del corazón sea sin corrupción, y de espíritu agradable, y pacífico, lo cual es de grande estima delante de Dios.

Porque así también se ataviaban en el tiempo antiguo aquellas santas mujeres que esperaban en Dios, estando sujetas a sus maridos;

como Sara obedecía a Abraham, llamándole señor; de la cual vosotras sois hechas hijas, haciendo bien, y no estáis espantadas de ningún pavor.

Vosotros maridos, igualmente, habitad con ellas sabiamente, dando honor a la mujer, como a vaso más frágil, y como a herederas juntamente de la gracia de la vida; para que vuestras oraciones no sean impedidas.

¶ Y finalmente, sed todos de un consentimiento, de una afección, amándoos fraternalmente, misericordiosos, amigables;

no volviendo mal por mal, ni maldición por maldición, sino antes por el contrario, bendiciendo, sabiendo que vosotros sois llamados para que poseáis bendición en herencia.

10 Porque: El que quiere amar la vida, y ver los días buenos, refrene su lengua de mal, y sus labios no hablen engaño;

11 apártese del mal, y haga bien; busque la paz, y sígala.

12 Porque los ojos del Señor están sobre los justos, y sus oídos atentos a sus oraciones; pero el rostro del Señor está sobre aquellos que hacen males.

13 ¿Y quién es aquel que os podrá dañar, si vosotros seguís el bien?

14 Mas también si alguna cosa padecéis por hacer bien, sois bienaventurados. Por tanto, no temáis por el temor de ellos, ni seáis turbados;

15 sino santificad al Señor Dios en vuestros corazones, y estad siempre aparejados para responder a cada uno que os demande razón de la esperanza que está en vosotros; y esto con mansedumbre y reverencia,

16 ¶ teniendo buena conciencia, para que en lo que murmuran de vosotros como de malhechores, sean confundidos los que blasfeman vuestra buena conversación en el Cristo.

17 Porque mejor es que seáis afligidos haciendo el bien (si la voluntad de Dios así lo quiere), que haciendo el mal.

18 ¶ Porque también el Cristo padeció una vez por los pecados, el justo por los injustos, para llevarnos a Dios, siendo a la verdad muerto en la carne, pero vivificado en espíritu;

19 en el cual también fue y predicó a los espíritus encarcelados,

20 los cuales en el tiempo pasado fueron desobedientes, cuando una vez se esperaba la paciencia de Dios en los días de Noé, cuando se aparejaba el arca; en la cual pocas, es a saber, ocho personas fueron salvas por agua.

21 ¶ A la figura de la cual el bautismo que ahora corresponde nos salva (no quitando las inmundicias de la carne, mas dando testimonio de una buena conciencia delante de Dios,) por la resurrección de Jesús el Cristo,

22 el cual está a la diestra de Dios, siendo subido al cielo; a quien están sujetos los ángeles, las Potestades, y Virtudes.

Wives, in the same way submit yourselves(A) to your own husbands(B) so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over(C) without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.(D) Rather, it should be that of your inner self,(E) the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.(F) For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God(G) used to adorn themselves.(H) They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord.(I) You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

Husbands,(J) in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Suffering for Doing Good

Finally, all of you, be like-minded,(K) be sympathetic, love one another,(L) be compassionate and humble.(M) Do not repay evil with evil(N) or insult with insult.(O) On the contrary, repay evil with blessing,(P) because to this(Q) you were called(R) so that you may inherit a blessing.(S) 10 For,

“Whoever would love life
    and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
    and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good;
    they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
    and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”[a](T)

13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?(U) 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.(V) “Do not fear their threats[b]; do not be frightened.”[c](W) 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer(X) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope(Y) that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience,(Z) so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.(AA) 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will,(AB) to suffer for doing good(AC) than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once(AD) for sins,(AE) the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.(AF) He was put to death in the body(AG) but made alive in the Spirit.(AH) 19 After being made alive,[d] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits(AI) 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently(AJ) in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.(AK) In it only a few people, eight in all,(AL) were saved(AM) through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you(AN) also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience(AO) toward God.[e] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,(AP) 22 who has gone into heaven(AQ) and is at God’s right hand(AR)—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.(AS)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 3:12 Psalm 34:12-16
  2. 1 Peter 3:14 Or fear what they fear
  3. 1 Peter 3:14 Isaiah 8:12
  4. 1 Peter 3:19 Or but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which also
  5. 1 Peter 3:21 Or but an appeal to God for a clear conscience