< 1 Peter 3 >
1 So also ye wives, be ye subject to your husbands; that, by your pleasing behavior, ye may gain over, without difficulty, those who obey not the word,
2 when they see, that ye conduct yourselves with reverence and chastity.
3 And adorn not yourselves with the external ornaments of curls of the hair, or of golden trinkets, or of costly garments.
4 But adorn yourselves in the hidden person of the heart, with a mild and uncorrupted spirit, an ornament that is precious before God.
5 For so also the holy women of old, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, and were subject to their husbands:
6 just as Sarah was subject to Abraham, and called him, My lord: whose daughters ye are, by good works, while ye are not terrified by any fear.
7 And ye husbands, likewise, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, and hold them in honor, as the feebler vessels; because they also will inherit with you the gift of eternal life: and let not your prayers be hindered.
8 The summing up, is, that ye all be in harmony, that ye be sympathetic with them who suffer, and affectionate one to another, and be merciful and kind.
9 And that ye recompense to no one evil for evil, neither railing for railing; but, in contrariety to these, that ye bless: for to this were ye called, that ye might inherit a blessing.
10 Therefore, whoever chooseth life, and desireth to see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile;
11 let him turn away from evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and follow after it.
12 Because the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears ready to hear them: but the face of the Lord is against the wicked.
13 And who will do you harm, if ye are zealous of good works?
14 But if it should occur, that ye suffer on account of righteousness, happy are ye. And be not terrified, by those who would terrify you, nor be agitated:
15 but sanctify the Lord the Messiah, in your hearts. And be ye ready for a vindication, before every one who demandeth of you an account of the hope of your faith,
16 in meekness and respect, as having a good conscience; so that they who speak against you as bad men, may be ashamed, for having calumniated your good conduct in the Messiah.
17 For it is profitable to you, that ye suffer evil while ye do good deeds, if this should be the pleasure of God; and not, while ye do evil deeds.
18 For the Messiah also once died for our sins, the righteous for sinners; that he might bring you to God. And he died in body, but lived in spirit.
19 And he preached to those souls, which were detained in Hades,
20 which were formerly disobedient, in the days of Noah, when the long suffering of God commanded an ark to be made, in hope of their repentance; and eight souls only entered into it, and were kept alive in the waters.
21 And ye also, by a like figure, are made alive by baptism, (not when ye wash your bodies from filth, but when ye confess God with a pure conscience, ) and by the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah;
22 who is taken up to heaven, and is on the right hand of God, and angels, and authorities, and powers, are subject to him.
