1 Peter 3

1 Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your husbands, so that even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of their wives

2 when they see your pure and reverent demeanor.

3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes,

4 but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.

5 For this is how the holy women of the past adorned themselves. They put their hope in God and were submissive to their husbands,

6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. And you are her children if you do what is right and refuse to give way to fear.

7 Husbands, in the same way, dwell with your wives in an understanding manner. Treat them with honor as a delicate vessel and as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and courteous.

9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, knowing that to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

11 He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.

12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

13 Who can harm you if you are imitators of what is good?

14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be shaken.”

15 But in your hearts sanctify the Lord God. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect,

16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you as evildoers may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ.

17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,

19 in whom He also went and preached to the spirits in prison

20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In the ark a few people, only eight souls, were saved through water.

21 And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves us also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.

1 ¶ Likewise, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

2 While they behold your chaste conversation [coupled] with fear.

3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward [adorning] of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

4 But [let it be] the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, [even the ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with [them] according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

8 ¶ Finally, [be ye] all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, [be] pitiful, [be] courteous:

9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

12 For the eyes of the Lord [are] over the righteous, and his ears [are open] unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord [is] against them that do evil.

13 And who [is] he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy [are ye]: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

16 ¶ Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

17 For [it is] better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

18 ¶ For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

21 ¶ The like figure whereunto [even] baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

1 Likewise also the wives shall be subject unto their husbands, that they also which believe not the word may be won by the conversation of wives without the word,

2 When they behold your chaste walk in fear;

3 What ornament shall not be by heart with braiding of hair, and cloaking of gold, or putting on of garments?

4 but the hidden man of the heart unfeigned with a gentle and quiet spirit; this is delicious in the sight of God.

5 For so did the holy women of old adorn themselves, who put their hope in God, and were subject to their husbands,

6 As Sarah obeyed Abraham, and called him lord, whose daughters ye became, if ye did well, and were not timid.

7 the same, ye men, dwell with them with reason, and give honor to the female as the weakest instrument, as also joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

8 Finally, be ye all like-minded, compassionate, brotherly, merciful, kind.

9 Not evil with evil, or evil with evil: but bless ye, and know that ye are called to this, that ye may inherit the blessing.

10 He that would live and see good days, let his tongue hold his peace, that it speak no evil; and his lips, that they deceive not;

11 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

12 For the eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears upon their prayer: but the face of the LORD is upon them that do evil.

13 And who is he that may hurt you, if ye do good?

14 Though ye suffer for righteousness' sake, yet are ye blessed. But fear not their defiance, and be not dismayed!

15 But sanctify the Lord GOD in your hearts.] But be ye always ready to answer to every man, which requireth the hope that is in you,

16 With meekness and fear: and have a good conscience, that they which speak evil of you, as of evildoers, may be put to shame, because they have reproached your good walk in Christ.

17 For it is better, if it be the will of God, that ye should suffer for good than for evil,

18 For Christ also hath once suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust, that he might offer us to God; being put to death according to the flesh, but made alive according to the Spirit.

19 And in the same he went and preached unto the spirits that were in prison,

20 Who believed not, because God waited and was patient in the days of Noah, when they prepared the ark, wherein were kept a few, that is, eight souls, by the water,

21 Which therefore also makes us blessed in baptism, which is signified by that, not the putting away of filthiness from the flesh, but the covenant of a good conscience with GOD through the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST,

22 Who is gone up to the right hand of God into heaven, and the angels and the mighty men and the powers are subject unto him.