1 Peter 2:13-4:11

Legacy Standard Bible

Be Subject to Authority

^13 (A)Be subject for the sake of the Lord to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent ^[a]by him ^(B)for the punishment of evildoers and the ^(C)praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For ^[b](D)such is the will of God that by doing good you may ^(E)silence the ignorance of foolish men. ¹⁶ Act as ^(F)free people, and ^[c]do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as ^(G)slaves of God. ^17 (H)Honor all people, ^(I)love the ^[d]brethren, ^(J)fear God, ^(K)honor the ^[e]king.

^18 (L)Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to those who are good and ^(M)considerate, but also to those who are ^[f]crooked. ¹⁹ For this finds ^[g]favor, if for the sake of ^(N)conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unrighteously. ²⁰ For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure? But if ^(O)when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this finds favor with God.

Christ, Our Example

²¹ For to this ^(P)you have been called, ^(Q)since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you ^(R)an example that you should follow in His steps, ²² who ^(S)did no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; ²³ who being ^(T)reviled, was not reviling in return; while suffering, He was uttering no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. ²⁴ Who Himself ^[h](U)bore our sins in His body on the ^(V)tree, so that ^(W)having died to ^[i]sin, we might live to righteousness; ^(X)by His ^[j]wounds you were ^(Y)healed. ²⁵ For you were ^(Z)continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the ^(AA)Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Wives and Husbands

3 ^(AB)In the same way, you wives, ^(AC)be subject to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be ^(AD)won without a word by the conduct of their wives, ² as they observe your pure conduct with fear. ^3 (AE)Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on garments; ⁴ but let it be ^(AF)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, ^(AG)who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands, ⁶ just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, ^(AH)calling him lord. You have become her children if you do good, ^[k](AI)not fearing any intimidation.

^7 (AJ)You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker ^(AK)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 [l]Now to sum up, ^(AL)all of you be like-minded, sympathetic, ^(AM)brotherly, ^(AN)tender-hearted, and ^(AO)humble in spirit; ^9 (AP)not returning evil for evil or ^(AQ)reviling for reviling, but ^[m]giving a ^(AR)blessing instead, for ^(AS)you were called for the very purpose that you might ^(AT)inherit a blessing. ¹⁰ For,

Suffering for Righteousness

^13 (AX)And who is ^[p]there to ^[q]harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you should ^(AY)suffer for the sake of righteousness, ^(AZ)you ^[r]are blessed. ^(BA)And do not fear their fear, and do not be troubled, ¹⁵ but ^[s]sanctify ^(BB)Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready ^(BC)to make ^[t]a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the ^(BD)hope that is in you, yet ^(BE)with gentleness and ^(BF)fear, ¹⁶ having a ^(BG)good conscience so that in the thing in which ^(BH)you are slandered, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. ¹⁷ For ^(BI)it is better, ^(BJ)if ^[u]God should will it so, that you suffer for doing good rather than for doing wrong. ¹⁸ For ^(BK)Christ also suffered for sins ^(BL)once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might ^(BM)bring you to God, having been put to death ^(BN)in the flesh, but made alive ^(BO)in the ^[v]spirit; ¹⁹ in ^[w]which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, ²⁰ who once were disobedient, when the ^(BP)patience of God ^(BQ)kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of ^(BR)the ark, in which a few, that is, ^(BS)eight ^(BT)persons, were brought safely through the ^[x]water. ^21 (BU)Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—^(BV)not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal ^[y]of a ^(BW)good conscience to God—through ^(BX)the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ^22 (BY)who is at the right hand of God, ^(BZ)having gone into heaven, ^(CA)after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

Keep Fervent in Your Love

4 Therefore, since ^(CB)Christ has ^[z]suffered in the flesh, ^(CC)arm yourselves also with the same purpose—because ^(CD)he who has ^[aa]suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin— ^2 (CE)so as to no longer live ^(CF)the rest of the time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the ^(CG)will of God. ³ For ^(CH)the time already past is sufficient for you to have worked out the desire of the Gentiles, ^[ab](CI)having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and ^[ac]abominable idolatries. ⁴ In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of ^(CJ)dissipation, ^(CK)maligning you, ⁵ but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge ^(CL)the living and the dead. ⁶ For to this ^(CM)the gospel has been ^[ad]proclaimed even to those who are now dead, so that though they were judged in the flesh as men, they live in the spirit according to the will of God.

^7 (CN)The end of all things is at hand; therefore, ^(CO)be of sound thinking and sober spirit for the purpose of ^[ae]prayer. ⁸ Above all, ^(CP)keep fervent in your love for one another, because ^(CQ)love covers a multitude of sins. ^9 (CR)Be hospitable to one another without ^(CS)grumbling. ^10 (CT)As each one has received a gift, employ it in serving one another as good ^(CU)stewards of the manifold grace of God— ^11 (CV)whoever speaks, ^[af]as one speaking the ^(CW)oracles of God; whoever serves, as one serving ^[ag](CX)by the strength which God supplies; so that ^(CY)in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, ^(CZ)to whom belongs the glory and might forever and ever. Amen.