1 Peter 3
New English Translation
Wives and Husbands
3 In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then,[a] even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live,[b] 2 when they see your pure and reverent conduct.[c] 3 Let your[d] beauty[e] not be external—the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry[f] or fine clothes— 4 but the inner person[g] of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God’s sight. 5 For in the same way the holy women who hoped in God long ago adorned themselves by being subject to their husbands, 6 like Sarah who obeyed[h] Abraham, calling him lord. You become her children[i] when you do what is good and have no fear in doing so.[j] 7 Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as the weaker partners and show them honor[k] as fellow heirs of the grace of life. In this way nothing will hinder your prayers.[l]
Suffering for Doing Good
8 Finally, all of you be harmonious,[m] sympathetic, affectionate, compassionate, and humble. 9 Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless[n] others[o] because you were called to inherit a blessing. 10 For
the one who wants to love life and see good days must keep[p] his tongue from evil and his lips from uttering deceit.
11 And he must turn away from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are[q] upon the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the Lord’s face is against those who do evil.[r]
13 For[s] who is going to harm you if you are devoted to what is good? 14 But in fact, if you happen to suffer[t] for doing what is right,[u] you are blessed. But do not be terrified of them[v] or be shaken.[w] 15 But set Christ[x] apart[y] as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess.[z] 16 Yet do it with courtesy and respect,[aa] keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you.[ab] 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it,[ac] than for doing evil.
18 [ad] Because Christ also suffered[ae] once for sins,
the just for the unjust,[af]
to bring you to God,
by being put to death in the flesh
but[ag] by being made alive in the spirit.[ah]
19 In it[ai] he went and preached to the spirits in prison,[aj]
20 after they were disobedient long ago[ak] when God patiently waited[al] in the days of Noah as an ark was being constructed. In the ark[am] a few, that is eight souls, were delivered through water. 21 And this prefigured baptism, which now saves you[an]—not the washing off of physical dirt[ao] but the pledge[ap] of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who went into heaven and is at the right hand of God[aq] with angels and authorities and powers subject to him.[ar]
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 3:1 tn Grk “that…they may be won over,” showing the purpose of “being subject” (vs. 1b). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
- 1 Peter 3:1 tn Grk “by the wives’ behavior.”
- 1 Peter 3:2 tn Grk “behavior,” the same word translated “the way you live” in vs. 1.
- 1 Peter 3:3 tn Grk “whose,” referring to the wives.
- 1 Peter 3:3 tn Or “adornment.”
- 1 Peter 3:3 tn The word “jewelry” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate that gold ornaments or jewelry is intended; otherwise the reader might assume wearing gold-colored clothing was forbidden.
- 1 Peter 3:4 tn Grk “the hidden man.” KJV’s “the hidden man of the heart,” referring to a wife, could be seriously misunderstood by the modern English reader.
- 1 Peter 3:6 tn Grk “as Sarah obeyed.”
- 1 Peter 3:6 tn Grk “whose children you become.”
- 1 Peter 3:6 tn Grk “doing good and not fearing any intimidation.”
- 1 Peter 3:7 tn Grk “living together according to knowledge, as to the weaker, female vessel.” The primary verbal ideas of v. 7 are contained in participles (“living together…showing honor”) but they continue the sense of command from the previous paragraphs.
- 1 Peter 3:7 tn Grk “so that your prayers may not be hindered.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek, this clause was translated as a separate sentence.
- 1 Peter 3:8 tn There is no main verb in this verse (Grk “Finally, all [ ] harmonious”), but it continues the sense of command from the previous paragraphs.
- 1 Peter 3:9 tn Grk “not returning…but blessing,” continuing the sense of command from the preceding.
- 1 Peter 3:9 tn The direct object “others” is omitted but implied in Greek, and must be supplied to suit English style.
- 1 Peter 3:10 tn Grk “stop.”
- 1 Peter 3:12 tn The verbs are implied but not expressed in this verse: “the Lord’s eyes [ ] on the righteous and his ears [ ] to their prayer, but his face [ ] against those who do evil.”
- 1 Peter 3:12 sn Verses 10-12 are a quotation from Ps 34:12-16.
- 1 Peter 3:13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “For” to indicate that what follows gives an explanation.
- 1 Peter 3:14 sn The Greek construction here implies that such suffering was not the norm, even though it could happen, and in fact may well have happened to some of the readers (cf. 4:4, 12-19).
- 1 Peter 3:14 tn Grk “because of righteousness.”
- 1 Peter 3:14 tn Grk “do not fear their fear,” referring to those who cause their suffering. The phrase “their fear” may mean “what they fear” (subjective genitive), but in a situation of persecution it more likely means “fear of them” (objective genitive).
- 1 Peter 3:14 sn A quotation from Isa 8:12.
- 1 Peter 3:15 tc Most later mss, including some significant ones (P 5 81 436 442 1735 2344 2492 M) have θεόν (theon, “God”) instead of Χριστόν (Christon; “Christ”) here. But Χριστόν is widely supported by excellent and early witnesses (P72 א A B C Ψ 33 1175 1243 1611 1739 1852 latt sy co), and as a less common idiom better explains the rise of the other reading.
- 1 Peter 3:15 tn Or “sanctify Christ as Lord.”
- 1 Peter 3:15 tn Grk “the hope in you.”
- 1 Peter 3:16 tn Grk “but with courtesy and respect,” continuing the command of v. 15. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
- 1 Peter 3:16 tn Grk “when you are spoken against.”
- 1 Peter 3:17 tn Grk “if the will of God should will it.” As in 3:14 the Greek construction here implies that suffering for doing good was not what God normally willed, even though it could happen, and in fact may have happened to some of the readers (cf. 4:4, 12-19).
- 1 Peter 3:18 sn This passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.
- 1 Peter 3:18 tc The variants here are legion (B. M. Metzger produces eight variants in a nice layout of the evidence [TCGNT 622]). Most of these variants involve pronouns, prepositions, or word order changes, but the major problem involves whether Christ “suffered” (ἔπαθεν, epathen) or “died” (ἀπέθανεν, apethanen). The witnesses that read ἀπέθανεν are P72 א*,2 A Cvid Ψ 0285 5 436 442 614 630 945 1175 1241 1243 1505 1611 1735 1739 1852 2344; the witnesses that read ἔπαθεν are B L P 81 2492 M. Although the external evidence slightly favors ἀπέθανεν, such may be a secondary reading. Intrinsically, ἔπαθεν both fits the context better, especially the verbal link between v. 17 and v. 18 (note in particular the introductory causal ὅτι [hoti, “because”] and the emphatic καί [kai, “also”]), and fits the author’s style (1 Peter never uses ἀποθνῄσκω [apothnēskō], but uses πάσχω [paschō] 11 other times, more than any other NT book). However, scribes would most likely realize this, and might conform the verb in v. 18 to the author’s typical usage. It may be argued, however, that scribes tended to alter the text in light of more common NT idioms, and did not have as much sensitivity to the literary features in the immediate context. In this instance, it may not be insignificant that the NT collocates ἀποθνῄσκω with ἁμαρτία (hamartia, “sin”) seven other times, though only once (1 Cor 15:3) with a meaning similar to what would be demanded here, but collocates πάσχω with ἁμαρτία in only one other place, 1 Pet 4:1, where the meaning also detours from what is seen here. All in all, a decision is difficult, but ἔπαθεν is to be preferred slightly.
- 1 Peter 3:18 sn The reference to the just suffering for the unjust is an allusion to Isa 53:11-12.
- 1 Peter 3:18 tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two phrases more than can be easily expressed in English.
- 1 Peter 3:18 sn Put to death in the flesh…made alive in the spirit. The contrast of flesh and spirit is not between two parts of Christ’s person (material versus immaterial) but between two broader modes of existence: the realm of unregenerate earthly life versus eternal heavenly life. The reference may not be to the Holy Spirit directly, but indirectly, since the Spirit permeates and characterizes the spiritual mode of existence. However, ExSyn 343 (n. 76) states “It is often objected that the Holy Spirit cannot be in view because the two datives of v 18 (σαρκί, πνεύματι [sarki, pneumati]) would then have a different syntactical force (sphere, means). But if 1 Pet 3:18 is a hymnic or liturgical fragment, this can be no objection because of ‘poetic license’: poetry is replete with examples of grammatical and lexical license, not the least of which is the use of the same morpho-syntactic categories, in parallel lines, with entirely different senses (note, e.g., the dat. expressions in 1 Tim 3:16).”
- 1 Peter 3:19 tn Grk “in which.” ExSyn 343 notes: “The antecedent of the RP [relative pronoun] is by no means certain. Some take it to refer to πνεύματι immediately preceding, the meaning of which might be either the Holy Spirit or the spiritual state. Others see the phrase as causal (‘for which reason,’ ‘because of this’), referring back to the entire clause, while still other scholars read the phrase as temporal (if so, it could be with or without an antecedent: ‘on which occasion’ or ‘meanwhile’). None of these options is excluded by syntax. It may be significant, however, that every other time ἐν ᾧ is used in 1 Peter it bears an adverbial/conjunctive force (cf. 1:6; 2:12; 3:16 [here, temporal]; 4:4).” Also, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
- 1 Peter 3:19 sn And preached to the spirits in prison. The meaning of this preaching and the spirits to whom he preached are much debated. It is commonly understood to be: (1) Christ’s announcement of his victory over evil to the fallen angels who await judgment for their role in leading the Noahic generation into sin; this proclamation occurred sometime between Christ’s death and ascension; or (2) Christ’s preaching of repentance through Noah to the unrighteous humans, now dead and confined in hell, who lived in the days of Noah. The latter is preferred because of the temporal indications in v. 20a and the wider argument of the book. These verses encourage Christians to stand for righteousness and try to influence their contemporaries for the gospel in spite of the suffering that may come to them. All who identify with them and their Savior will be saved from the coming judgment, just as in Noah’s day.
- 1 Peter 3:20 tn This reflects a Greek participle, literally “having been disobedient formerly,” that refers to the “spirits” in v. 19. Many translations take this as adjectival describing the spirits (“who had once been disobedient”; cf. NASB, NIV, NKJV, NLT, NRSV, TEV), but the grammatical construction strongly favors an adverbial interpretation describing the time of the preaching, as reflected above.
- 1 Peter 3:20 tn Grk “the patience of God waited.”
- 1 Peter 3:20 tn Grk “in which,” referring to the ark; the referent (the ark) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
- 1 Peter 3:21 tn Grk “which also, [as] an antitype, now saves you, [that is] baptism.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
- 1 Peter 3:21 tn Grk “the removal of the dirt of the flesh,” where flesh refers to the physical make-up of the body with no moral connotations.
- 1 Peter 3:21 tn Or “response”; “answer.”
- 1 Peter 3:22 tn Grk “who is at the right hand…having gone into heaven.”
- 1 Peter 3:22 tn Grk “angels…having been subjected to him.”
彼 得 前 書 3
Chinese New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version
妻子与丈夫
3
7 同样,丈夫和妻子生活在一起时,要体贴她们;尊重她们,因为她们在性别上比你们软弱。但是,上帝赐给你们妻子的恩典与他赐给你们的是一样的,这恩典赐予了真正的生命。这么做,你们的祷告就不会被拒绝了。
为行善而受难
8 总而言之,你们所有的人都应该和睦相处,互相理解,要像爱兄弟一样彼此相爱。要仁慈,要谦卑。 9 不要以恶报恶,或以辱骂还辱骂,相反,你们应该请求上帝赐福给他。因为这是上帝召唤你们去做的,以便你们可以领受到上帝的祝福。 10 正如《经》上所说的那样:
“热爱生活,
想过好日子的人,
要禁止舌头说邪恶的话,
不要让嘴唇撒谎。
11 他必须停止弃恶从善,
他必须寻求和平,一心追求它。
12 因为主垂看好人,
垂听他们的祷告;
但是主反对做恶的人。” (A)
13 如果你们总是尽力行善,那么就没有人能真正伤害你们。 14 尽管你们为义而受苦,你们也是有福的。“不要害怕那些使你们受难的人;不要胆怯。” [a] 15 要在内心敬畏基督,奉他为主。如果有人要求你们解释你们怀有的盼望,你们要随时准备做出回答, 16 但是在回答他们时,要恭敬温和。要保持清白的良心,当你们受到诽谤时,让那些诋毁你们在基督里行善的人感到羞愧。 17 如果因行善而遭受到痛苦,是上帝的旨意,这比做恶而遭受到痛苦要强。 18 基督为你们而死,一劳永逸地付清了你们所有人的罪。他是无辜的,他为了你们这些有罪的人而死,以便把你们都带到上帝那里。虽然他的肉体遭到了杀害,但是依靠灵,他却复活了。 19 在这灵中,他去向那些受囚禁的灵传道。 20 他们是那些在很久以前,诺亚时代就拒绝服从上帝的灵。当诺亚建造方舟时,上帝曾耐心地等待着他们,但是却只有八个人登上了方舟,在水中得救。 21 这水就象征着现在拯救你们的洗礼 [b]。洗礼并不是洗涤你们身体的污垢,而是请求上帝赐予一颗无愧的良心。这一切都是通过耶稣基督从死里复活而实现的。 22 基督已经进了天堂,在上帝的右侧,统治着天使、权威和势力。
Footnotes
- 彼 得 前 書 3:14 《以赛亚书》8:12。
- 彼 得 前 書 3:21 洗礼或浸礼: 希腊语。意为短暂地浸入、浸泡或没入水中。
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