1 Peter 3
1 Again, you married women should submit to your husbands, so that if any of them reject the message, they may, apart from the message, be won over, by the conduct of their wives,
Ye women likewise, be subject to your own husbands, that if any believe not the word, they may yet without the word be gained over by the deportment of the wives,
2 as they see your pure, reverent conduct.
beholding your chaste conversation in the fear of God.
3 Yours should be, not the external adornment of the arrangement of the hair, the wearing of jewelry, or the putting on of dresses,
Whose adorning, let it not be that without, of plaiting the hair, and putting on of gold, or wearing fine clothes;
4 but the inner life with the imperishable beauty of a quiet and gentle spirit; for this is very precious in God’s sight.
but the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
5 It was by this that the holy women of old, who rested their hopes on God, adorned themselves; submitting to their husbands,
For so also formerly the holy women, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being submissive to their husbands; as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him her lord:
6 as Sarah did, who obeyed Abraham, and called him master. And you are her true children, as long as you live good lives, and let nothing terrify you.
whose daughters ye are, if ye do well, and are not terrified with any sinful fear.
7 Again, those of you who are married men should live considerately with their wives, showing due regard to their sex, as physically weaker than their own, and not forgetting that they share with you in the gift of life. Then you will be able to pray without hindrance.
Ye husbands likewise, dwell with them according to knowledge, yielding due respect to the wife as the weaker vessel, and as joint-heirs of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
8 Lastly, you should all be united, sympathetic, full of love for each other, kind-hearted, humble-minded;
Finally, my beloved, be unanimous, be sympathizing, love as brethren, be compassionate, be courteous:
9 never returning evil for evil, or abuse for abuse, but, on the contrary, blessing. It was to this that you were called – to obtain a blessing!
not returning evil for evil, or reproach for reproach: but on the contrary blessing even those that curse you: knowing ye are called unto this, that ye may obtain a blessing.
10 ‘The person who wants to enjoy life and see happy days – they should keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful words,
"For he that would desire life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile;
11 they should turn from evil and do good, They should seek for peace and follow after it;
let him turn away from evil, and do good:
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is set against those who do wrong.’
let him seek peace, and pursue it: for the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."
13 Who, indeed, is there to harm you, if you prove yourselves to be eager for what is good?
And who will hurt you, if ye be imitators of Him that is good?
14 Even if you should suffer for righteousness, count yourselves blessed! ‘Do not let people terrify you, or allow yourselves to be dismayed.’
But if ye should even suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye: and therefore be not afraid of their menaces, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:
15 Revere the Christ as Lord in your hearts; always ready to give an answer to anyone who asks your reason for the hope that you cherish, but giving it with courtesy and respect,
and be always ready to answer every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and reverence:
16 and keeping your consciences clear, so that, whenever you are maligned, those who vilify your good and Christian conduct may be put to shame.
having a good conscience, that whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, they may be ashamed who calumniate your good conversation in Christ.
17 It is better that you should suffer, if that should be God’s will, for doing right, than for doing wrong.
For it is better (if it be the will of God) to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
18 For Christ himself died to atone for sins once for all – the good on behalf of the bad – that he might bring you to God; his body being put to death, but his spirit entering on new life.
As Christ also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust (that He might introduce us to God) being indeed put to death in the flesh, but raised to life by the Spirit:
19 And it was then that he went and preached to the imprisoned spirits,
by which also He went and preached to the spirits now in prison;
20 who once were disobedient, at the time when God patiently waited, in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared; in which some few lives, eight in all, were saved by means of water.
who of old were disobedient, when the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing; wherein a few, that is eight souls, were saved by water.
21 And baptism, which this foreshadowed, now saves you – not the mere cleansing of the body, but the search of a clear conscience after God – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
The resemblance of which, even baptism, doth also now save us, (not the outward cleansing of filth from the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22 who has gone into heaven, and is at God’s right hand, where angels and archangels and the powers of heaven now yield submission to him.
who is gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to Him.
