< 1 Peter 3 >
1 Wives, be ruled by your husbands; so that even if some of them give no attention to the word, their hearts may be changed by the behaviour of their wives,
In the same way you wives must be submissive to your own husbands; so that if some of them will not believe the message, they may apart from the message be won over by the behavior of their wives,
2 When they see your holy behaviour in the fear of God.
when they see how pure and reverent you are.
3 Do not let your ornaments be those of the body such as dressing of the hair, or putting on of jewels of gold or fair clothing;
Your adornment ought not to be the outward adornment of plaited hair and golden jewels and the wearing of beautiful dresses;
4 But let them be those of the unseen man of the heart, the ever-shining ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great price in the eyes of God.
but rather that hidden personality of the heart, the imperishable ornament of a quiet and gentle spirit, which in the sight of God is indeed precious.
5 And these were the ornaments of the holy women of the past, whose hope was in God, being ruled by their husbands:
For in this way in the olden time the holy women also, who put their trust in God, used to adorn themselves. They were ever in submission to their own husbands;
6 As Sarah was ruled by Abraham, naming him lord; whose children you are if you do well, and are not put in fear by any danger.
thus, for example, Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are daughters of Sarah, if you do what is right, and permit nothing to make you afraid.
7 And you husbands, give thought to your way of life with your wives, giving honour to the woman who is the feebler vessel, but who has an equal part in the heritage of the grace of life; so that you may not be kept from prayer.
In the same way you husbands live with your wives, according to knowledge, honoring your wife as of the weaker sex, yet as an heir with yourself of the grace of life; so that your prayers may not be hindered.
8 Last of all, see that you are all in agreement; feeling for one another, loving one another like brothers, full of pity, without pride:
Finally, you should all be harmonious, sympathetic, loving as brothers, tender-hearted, humble-minded;
9 Not giving back evil for evil, or curse for curse, but in place of cursing, blessing; because this is the purpose of God for you that you may have a heritage of blessing.
not paying back evil for evil or abuse for abuse, but on the contrary giving a blessing. Because for this you have been called - to inherit a blessing.
10 For it is said, Let the man who has a love of life, desiring to see good days, keep his tongue from evil and his lips from words of deceit:
He who would love life and enjoy happy days, Let him keep his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking guile;
11 And let him be turned from evil and do good; searching for peace and going after it with all his heart.
Let him turn from evil and do good, Let him seek peace, and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the upright, and his ears are open to their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And his ears are open to their cry; But the face of the Lord is set against evil-doers.
13 Who will do you any damage if you keep your minds fixed on what is good?
Yet who will harm you if you become zealous for the good?
14 But you are happy if you undergo pain because of righteousness; have no part in their fear and do not be troubled;
But even if you should suffer in behalf of righteousness, you are happy. Do not be afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.
15 But give honour to Christ in your hearts as your Lord; and be ready at any time when you are questioned about the hope which is in you, to give an answer in the fear of the Lord and without pride;
But consecrate Christ in your hearts, as Lord. Be always in readiness to make and answer to any one who asks you a reason for the hope that is within you, yet with gentleness and reverence.
16 Being conscious that you have done no wrong; so that those who say evil things about your good way of life as Christians may be put to shame.
See that you have a clear conscience, so that, although they speak of you as evil-doers, these libelers of your good Christian lives may be ashamed.
17 Because if it is God's purpose for you to undergo pain, it is better to do so for well-doing than for evil-doing.
For it is better that you suffer for doing right, if such be God’s will, than for doing wrong;
18 Because Christ once went through pain for sins, the upright one taking the place of sinners, so that through him we might come back to God; being put to death in the flesh, but given life in the Spirit;
because Christ also once for all suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but make alive in spirit.
19 By whom he went to the spirits in prison, preaching to those
(It was in spirit that he went and preached the Word to the spirits who were in prison,
20 Who, in the days of Noah, went against God's orders; but God in his mercy kept back the punishment, while Noah got ready the ark, in which a small number, that is to say eight persons, got salvation through water:
who in old times had been disobedient, when God’s longsuffering was waiting in the days of Noah, while an ark was building, in which a few persons - eight in number - were saved by water.)
21 And baptism, of which this is an image, now gives you salvation, not by washing clean the flesh, but by making you free from the sense of sin before God, through the coming again of Jesus Christ from the dead;
Baptism, the counterpart of that, now saves you (not the washing off of the filth of the flesh, but the prayer for a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
22 Who has gone into heaven, and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been put under his rule.
He is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; to Him angels and authorities and powers have been made subject.