1 Peter 3

Modern

Literal

Wives and Husbands

¹Wives, 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

¹Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if any are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without word by the conduct of the wives,

²when they see your pure and reverent demeanor.

²having witnessed your respectful, pure conduct,

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

³whose adornment let not be the external, of braiding of hair and putting around of gold or putting on of garments,

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

⁴but the hidden man of the heart, in the imperishable quality of the gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth before God.

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

⁵For in this way formerly the holy women also hoping in God used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands,

⁶just 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.

⁶as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, of whom you became children, doing good and not fearing any terror.

⁷Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as a delicate vessel, and with honor as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

⁷Husbands do likewise, dwelling with them according to knowledge, as with a weaker vessel, with the female, rendering honor as co-heirs also of the grace of life, in order for your prayers not to be hindered.

Turning from Evil

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

⁸Now the end: All be single-minded, sympathetic, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, humble,

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

⁹not giving back evil for evil or reviling for reviling; but on the contrary blessing, because to this you were called, so that you should inherit a blessing.

¹⁰For,

“Whoever would love life

and see good days

must keep his tongue from evil

and his lips from deceitful speech.

¹⁰For, “The one wanting to love life and to see good days, let him stop the tongue from evil, and the lips not speak deceit.

¹¹He must turn from evil and do good;

he must seek peace and pursue it.

¹¹And let him turn away from evil, and let him do good; let him seek peace and let him pursue it.

¹²For 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.”^a

¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears toward their prayer. But the face of the Lord is on those doing evil.”

¹³Who can harm you if you are zealous for what is good?

¹³And who is the one who will do evil to you if you should be zealous for that which is good?

Suffering for Righteousness

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

¹⁴But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, you are blessed. “And you should not be afraid of their fear, nor should you be troubled.”

¹⁵But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord.^a 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,

¹⁵But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord, always ready for a defense to everyone who is asking you an account concerning the hope in you, but with meekness and fear,

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

¹⁶having a good conscience, so that in that which they speak against you, they shall be put to shame—those reviling your good conduct in Christ.

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

¹⁷For it is better to suffer doing good, if the will of God wills it, than doing evil,

¹⁸For Christ also suffered^a 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,

¹⁸because Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might bring you to God, having been put to death indeed in the flesh, but having been made alive in the Spirit,

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

¹⁹in whom also, having gone, He preached to the spirits in prison

²⁰who 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.

²⁰at one time having disobeyed, when the longsuffering of God was waiting in the days of Noah, of the ark being prepared, in which a few—that is, eight souls—were saved through water,

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

²¹which also corresponds to the baptism now saving you, not a putting away of the filth of flesh, but the demand of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

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

²²who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers having been subjected to Him.