The Daily Audio Bible

¹¹ Dearly beloved, I urge you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

¹² And have your behavior be honorable among the Gentiles, so that those who speak against you as evil doers may, by your good works which they shall see, glorify God in the day of visitation.

¹³ Therefore, submit yourselves to every institution of man, for the Lord’s sake; whether it is to the king (as superior),

¹⁴ or to governors (those sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do well).

¹⁵ For such is the will of God: that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men;

¹⁶ as free, yet not having freedom be a cloak for evil, but as servants of God.

¹⁷ Honor the whole brotherhood. Love brotherly fellowship. Fear God. Honor the King.

¹⁸ Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and courteous, but also to the crooked.

¹⁹ For this is grace: if anyone - for the sake of conscience toward God - endures grief, suffering wrongly.

²⁰ For what praise is it, if when you are mistreated for your faults, you take it patiently? But if you suffer when you do well, and take it patiently, this is acceptable to God.

²¹ For you are called to this. For Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you could follow His steps.

²² “He did no sin. Nor was there guile found in His mouth.”

²³ When He was reviled, He did not revile in return. When He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed it to Him Who judges righteously.

²⁴ He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we, being dead to sin, would live in righteousness. “By His wounds you were healed.”

²⁵ For you were as sheep, going astray, but now are returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

3 Likewise, let the wives be subject to their husbands, so that even those who do not obey the word may be won by the behavior of the wives (without word)

² while they observe your upright conduct, which is with fear.

³ Do not let your adornment be outward, braiding your hair or putting on gold or worldly garments.

⁴ But let it be the inner man of the heart - an incorruptible meek and quiet spirit - which is a very valuable thing before God.

⁵ For in the past also, the holy women who trusted in God adorned themselves in this way, and were subject to their husbands,

⁶ as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him ‘Lord’. You are her daughters, doing good and not easily fearful.

⁷ Likewise, husbands, dwell with them as men of knowledge, giving honor to the woman - as to the weaker vessel, and as you would to those who are co-heirs of the grace of life - so that your prayers are not interrupted.