1 Peter 3:8-22
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. 10 For,
“(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? 14 But 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, 15 but [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. 17 For (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. 18 For (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; 19 in [l]which He also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who 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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Peter 3:8 Or Finally
- 1 Peter 3:8 I.e., as brothers and sisters
- 1 Peter 3:13 Lit the one who will harm you
- 1 Peter 3:14 Or would be
- 1 Peter 3:14 Lit fear
- 1 Peter 3:15 I.e., set apart
- 1 Peter 3:15 Or argument; or explanation
- 1 Peter 3:16 Lit having a good
- 1 Peter 3:17 Lit the will of God
- 1 Peter 3:18 One early ms died
- 1 Peter 3:18 Or Spirit
- 1 Peter 3:19 Or whom
- 1 Peter 3:21 Or from
1 Peter 3:8-22
English Standard Version
Suffering for Righteousness' Sake
8 Finally, all of you, (A)have unity of mind, sympathy, (B)brotherly love, (C)a tender heart, and (D)a humble mind. 9 (E)Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, (F)bless, for (G)to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10 For
(H)“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 (I)who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 (J)But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. (K)Have no fear of them, (L)nor be troubled, 15 but (M)in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, (N)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 (O)respect, 16 (P)having a good conscience, so that, (Q)when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For (R)it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also (S)suffered[a] (T)once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, (U)that he might bring us to God, being put to death (V)in the flesh but made alive (W)in the spirit, 19 in which[b] he went and (X)proclaimed[c] to the spirits in prison, 20 because[d] they formerly did not obey, (Y)when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, (Z)while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, (AA)eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, (AB)now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but (AC)as an appeal to God for a good conscience, (AD)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and (AE)is at the right hand of God, (AF)with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Peter 3:18 Some manuscripts died
- 1 Peter 3:19 Or the Spirit, in whom
- 1 Peter 3:19 Or preached
- 1 Peter 3:20 Or when
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
