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1 Peter 3
English Standard Version

Wives and Husbands

3 Likewise, wives, (A)be subject to your own husbands, so that (B)even if some do not obey the word, (C)they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your (D)respectful and pure conduct. 3 (E)Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be (F)the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, (G)calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and (H)do not fear anything that is frightening.

7 Likewise, (I)husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker (J)vessel, since they are heirs with you[a] of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Suffering for Righteousness' Sake

8 Finally, all of you, (K)have unity of mind, sympathy, (L)brotherly love, (M)a tender heart, and (N)a humble mind. 9 (O)Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, (P)bless, for (Q)to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10 For

(R)“Whoever desires to love life
    and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
    and his lips from speaking deceit;
11 let him turn away from evil and do good;
    let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

13 Now (S)who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 (T)But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. (U)Have no fear of them, (V)nor be troubled, 15 but (W)in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, (X)always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and (Y)respect, 16 (Z)having a good conscience, so that, (AA)when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For (AB)it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

18 For Christ also (AC)suffered[b] (AD)once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, (AE)that he might bring us to God, being put to death (AF)in the flesh but made alive (AG)in the spirit, 19 in which[c] he went and (AH)proclaimed[d] to the spirits in prison, 20 because[e] they formerly did not obey, (AI)when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, (AJ)while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, (AK)eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, (AL)now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but (AM)as an appeal to God for a good conscience, (AN)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and (AO)is at the right hand of God, (AP)with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 3:7 Some manuscripts since you are joint heirs
  2. 1 Peter 3:18 Some manuscripts died
  3. 1 Peter 3:19 Or the Spirit, in whom
  4. 1 Peter 3:19 Or preached
  5. 1 Peter 3:20 Or when
Close LSB

1 Peter 3
Legacy Standard Bible

Wives and Husbands

3 (A)In the same way, you wives, (B)be subject to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be (C)won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 as they observe your pure conduct with fear. 3 (D)Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on garments; 4 but let it be (E)the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible quality of a lowly and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, (F)who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands, 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, (G)calling him lord. You have become her children if you do good, [a](H)not fearing any intimidation.

7 (I)You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker (J)vessel, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

8 [b]Now to sum up, (K)all of you be like-minded, sympathetic, (L)brotherly, (M)tender-hearted, and (N)humble in spirit; 9 (O)not returning evil for evil or (P)reviling for reviling, but [c]giving a (Q)blessing instead, for (R)you were called for the very purpose that you might (S)inherit a blessing. 10 For,

“(T)The one who desires life, to love and see good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
11 (U)He must turn away from evil and do good;
He must seek peace and pursue it.
12 (V)For the eyes of the [d]Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the [e]Lord is against those who do evil.”

Suffering for Righteousness

13 (W)And who is [f]there to [g]harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should (X)suffer for the sake of righteousness, (Y)you [h]are blessed. (Z)And do not fear their fear, and do not be troubled, 15 but [i]sanctify (AA)Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready (AB)to make [j]a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the (AC)hope that is in you, yet (AD)with gentleness and (AE)fear, 16 having a (AF)good conscience so that in the thing in which (AG)you are slandered, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For (AH)it is better, (AI)if [k]God should will it so, that you suffer for doing good rather than for doing wrong. 18 For (AJ)Christ also suffered for sins (AK)once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might (AL)bring you to God, having been put to death (AM)in the flesh, but made alive (AN)in the [l]spirit; 19 in [m]which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the (AO)patience of God (AP)kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of (AQ)the ark, in which a few, that is, (AR)eight (AS)persons, were brought safely through the [n]water. 21 (AT)Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—(AU)not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal [o]of a (AV)good conscience to God—through (AW)the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 (AX)who is at the right hand of God, (AY)having gone into heaven, (AZ)after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 3:6 Lit and are not
  2. 1 Peter 3:8 Or Finally
  3. 1 Peter 3:9 Lit blessing instead
  4. 1 Peter 3:12 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Ps 34:15
  5. 1 Peter 3:12 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Ps 34:15
  6. 1 Peter 3:13 Lit the one who will harm you
  7. 1 Peter 3:13 Or do evil against you, cf. 3:9, 10, 11, 12
  8. 1 Peter 3:14 Or would be
  9. 1 Peter 3:15 Set apart
  10. 1 Peter 3:15 Or an argument, an explanation
  11. 1 Peter 3:17 Lit the will of God
  12. 1 Peter 3:18 Or Spirit
  13. 1 Peter 3:19 Or whom
  14. 1 Peter 3:20 The great flood
  15. 1 Peter 3:21 Or for
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