Petro 1 3
1 Nenema ke mi srɔ̃nyɔnuwo la, mibɔbɔ mia ɖokuiwo na mia srɔ̃wo ale be ne wo dometɔ aɖewo mexɔ nya la dzi se o la, to wo srɔ̃nyɔnuwo ƒe agbe ɖɔʋu nɔnɔ me la, woakpɔ ɖeɖe, nya aɖeke magblɔmagblɔ na woe,
You women [believers], just like [slaves should submit themselves to their masters], submit yourselves to your husbands. Do that in order that if any of them do not believe the message [about Christ], they may become believers without [it being necessary for] you to say anything to them [about their relationship to God].
2 ne wokpɔ dzadzɛnyenye kple bubu si le woƒe agbe me.
[They will believe in Christ] when they see that you respect them and that your way of life is pure.
3 Miaƒe tugbedzedze megatso gota gome lekewɔwɔ me, abe ɖa ŋɔŋɔe ƒoƒo, sikanuwo dodo kple avɔ xɔasiwo tata me ene o,
Do not be [trying to make] yourselves beautiful by decorating the outside [of your bodies], such as (by the way you comb your hair/by your hair [style]) or by wearing gold jewelry and fine clothes.
4 ke boŋ miaƒe tugbedzedze nanye ememetɔ, tugbedzedze malũxɛ si nye tufafa kple bɔbɔenyenye ƒe gbɔgbɔ si xɔ asi le Mawu ƒe ŋkume ŋutɔ.
Instead, make your (inner beings/hearts) [beautiful] with qualities/attitudes that will not fade away. Specifically, have a humble and quiet/calm attitude, which is something that God considers to be very valuable.
5 Elabena aleae nyɔnu kɔkɔe, siwo nɔ anyi le blema, esiwo tsɔ woƒe mɔkpɔkpɔ da ɖe Mawu dzi la wɔa leke na wo ɖokuiwoe. Wobɔbɔ wo ɖokuiwo na wo srɔ̃wo
(The devout women/The women who habitually worshipped God) who lived long ago and who trusted in God made themselves beautiful [by having attitudes] like that, and by being submissive to their husbands.
6 abe ale si Sara bɔbɔ eɖokui na Abraham, eye wòyɔe be aƒetɔ la ene. Mienye via nyɔnuwo ne miewɔ nu dzɔdzɔe, eye mieɖe mɔ na vɔvɔ̃ o.
Sarah, for example, obeyed [her husband] Abraham and called him ‘my master’. You will be [as though you are] [MET] her daughters if you do what is right and are not afraid [of what your husbands or anyone else may do to you because you are believers].
7 Nenema ke, mi srɔ̃ŋutsuwo hã minɔ anyi kple mia srɔ̃wo le nunya me, mide bubu wo ŋu, elabena wonye gbɔdzɔgbɔdzɔtɔwo, eye wonye domenyilawo kpli mi le amenuveve nunana si nye agbe si wona mi, ale be naneke maxe mɔ na miaƒe gbedodoɖawo o.
You men [who are believers], just like your wives should respect you, you should conduct your lives in an appropriate way with them. Treat them respectfully, realizing that they are [usually] weaker than you are, and realizing that (they share with you/both of you have) the gift [that God has kindly given to you, which is eternal] life. Do this so that nothing will hinder you from praying (OR, hinder [God] ([from answering/from doing what you ask for]) when you pray).
8 Mlɔeba la, mi katã minɔ anyi kple mia nɔewo le ɖekawɔwɔ me, ame ƒe nu newɔ nublanui na mi, milɔ̃ mia nɔewo abe dadaviwo ene, minyo dɔ me na amewo, eye mibɔbɔ mia ɖokui.
To end [this part of my letter], [I say to] all of you, agree with each other [in what you think]. Be sympathetic [toward each other]. Love [each other as] members of the same family [should]. Act compassionately [toward each other]. Be humble.
9 Migatsɔ vɔ̃ ɖo vɔ̃ teƒe alo dzu ɖo dzu teƒe o, ke boŋ miɖo teƒe na wo kple yayra, elabena esia ta woyɔ mi vɛ ɖo be mianyi yayra ƒe dome.
[When people do] evil things to you or insult you, do not (retaliate/repay them by) doing evil things to them or insulting them. Instead, [ask God to] bless them, because that is what you have been chosen [by God] {what [God] called you} to do, in order that you may receive a blessing [from him].
10 Elabena, “Ame si lɔ̃ agbe, eye wòdi be yeakpɔ ŋkekenyuiwo la, nelé eƒe aɖe be magblɔ nya vɔ̃ aɖeke o, kple eƒe nu, be magblɔ beblenya aɖeke o.
[Consider what the Psalmist wrote about the proper way of conducting our lives], As for those who want (to enjoy life/to live happily) and experience good [things happening to them every] day, they must not say [MTY] something that is evil or say [MTY] something that deceives others.
11 Ele nɛ be wòaɖe asi le vɔ̃ ŋu, awɔ nyui, eye wòadi ŋutifafa, ati eyome.
They must continually turn away from [doing] anything that is evil, and must do things that are good [instead]. They must deeply desire to enable [people to act] peacefully toward each other; they must zealously [urge people to act in a] peaceful way,
12 Elabena Aƒetɔ la ƒe ŋkuwo le ame dzɔdzɔewo ŋu, eye eƒe towo le te ɖe woƒe gbedodoɖa ŋu, ke Aƒetɔ la tsia tsitre ɖe ame siwo wɔa nu vɔ̃ la ŋuti.”
because the Lord sees [MTY] what righteous people do [and he appreciates/likes what they do]. He listens to righteous people when they pray, [and he answers them]. But he is [MTY] opposed to those who do evil things.
13 Ame kae awɔ nu vevi mi, ne mietsi dzi ɖe nu nyui wɔwɔ ŋu?
If you (are eager/try very hard) to do good things, [most people] will not harm you. [RHQ]
14 Ke ne miekpe fu le nu nyui wɔwɔ me gɔ̃ hã la, woayra mi. “Migavɔ̃ nu si vɔ̃m wole o; dzidzi hã megaƒo mi o.”
But even if you suffer because of [doing] what is right, [God] will bless you. [Do as Isaiah wrote]: “Do not be afraid of people who (threaten you/say things to cause you to be afraid of what they might do to you), and do not worry about [DOU] what they [might do to you].”
15 Ke le miaƒe dziwo me la, mina nɔƒe tɔxɛ Kristo abe Aƒetɔ kɔkɔe ene. Minɔ klalo ɣe sia ɣi be miaɖo nya ŋu na ame sia ame si abia mi be miagblɔ nu si ta mɔkpɔkpɔ sia le mia si ɖo.
Instead, acknowledge that Christ is the one who is in complete control [of your lives]. Always be ready to answer everyone who demands that you tell them about what you confidently expect [God to do for you].
16 Ke miaƒe dzitsinya me nakɔ keŋkeŋ, ale be ame siwo ƒoa nu vlo le mia ŋuti le agbe nyui si nɔm miele le Kristo me ta la naɖu ŋukpe le woƒe ameŋugblẽnyawo ta.
But answer them humbly and respectfully, and make sure that you (do/have done) nothing wrong, in order that those who say evil things about you may be ashamed when they see the good way in which you are conducting yourselves because of your relationship with Christ.
17 Ne enye Mawu ƒe lɔlɔ̃nu la, enyo be woakpe fu le nu nyui wɔwɔ ta wu ɖe nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ ta,
[It may be that God wants you] to suffer. But it is better to do good things, [even if you suffer for doing them], than to do evil things and suffer [for doing that].
18 elabena Kristo ku ɖe míaƒe nu vɔ̃wo ta zi ɖeka hena ɣeyiɣiwo katã. Mewɔ nu vɔ̃ aɖeke kpɔ o, gake eku ɖe nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo ta be wòakplɔ mi va Mawu gbɔe dedie. Wowui le ŋutilã me, ke wogbɔ agbee le Gbɔgbɔ me,
[I say that] because Christ died once for the sake of people who have sinned. He was a righteous person who died for unrighteous people. He died in order that (he might bring us to/we might begin an intimate relationship with) God. [During the time that he had] an ordinary body, he was killed {people killed him}, but [God’s] Spirit caused him to become alive again.
19 Eto edzi yi ɖagblɔ mawunya na gbɔgbɔ siwo le gaxɔ me,
The Spirit also helped him as he went to proclaim [God’s victory to the evil] spirits whom God had imprisoned [in the heavens] (OR, to the spirits of those who [had died, and who] were in the place where the spirits of dead people are).
20 ame siwo sẽ to le blema, le esime Mawu lala le dzigbɔɖi blibo me, le Noa ƒe ɣeyiɣiwo me, esi wònɔ aɖakaʋu la kpam. Ame ʋɛ aɖewo, ame siwo ƒe xexlẽme nye enyi ko woɖe le tsiɖɔɖɔ la me.
Long ago, during the time that Noah was building a big boat, [those evil spirits] disobeyed God when he waited patiently [PRS] [to see if people would turn from their evil behavior]. Only a few people were saved {[God] saved only a few people} [in that boat]. Specifically, [God] brought only eight persons safely through the waters [of the flood], [while all the others drowned in it].
21 Ke tsiɖɔɖɔ la nye mawutsideta si miexɔ hena ɖeɖekpɔkpɔ ƒe dzesi, ke menye ɖikɔklɔ le ŋutigbalẽ ŋu wònye o, ke boŋ adzɔgbeɖeɖe be woatsɔ dzitsinya nyui atrɔ ɖe Mawu ŋu. Mawu sia ɖe mi to Yesu Kristo ƒe tsitretsitsi me,
That water, [by means of which eight people were saved when God punished the other people] [MET], represents [the water in which we are] baptized [to show that God has] saved us [from being punished]. The water in which we are baptized does not remove dirt from our bodies. Instead, [it shows that] we are requesting [God to assure us] that he has removed our guilt [for having sinned]. And because Jesus Christ became alive again after he died, [we know that God accepted his sacrifice for us and because of that he was able to remove our guilt].
22 ame si yi ɖe dziƒo, ɖanɔ Mawu ƒe nuɖusime, eye mawudɔlawo, dziɖulawo kple ŋusẽwo bɔbɔ wo ɖokui nɛ.
Christ has gone into heaven and is ruling [MTY] in the place of highest honor (next to God/at God’s side), after [God] caused all the evil and powerful spirit beings [DOU] to be made subject to him.
