1 Peter 3:8–18

⁸¹To sum up, ^aall of you be harmonious, sympathetic, ^bbrotherly, ^ckindhearted, and ^dhumble in spirit;

^9anot returning evil for evil or ^binsult for insult, but ¹giving a ^cblessing instead; for ^dyou were called for the very purpose that you might ^einherit a blessing.

¹⁰For,

“^aThe one who desires life, to love and see good days,

Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.

¹¹“^aHe must turn away from evil and do good;

He must seek peace and pursue it.

¹²“^aFor the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,

And His ears attend to their prayer,

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

^13aWho is ¹there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?

¹⁴But even if you should ^asuffer for the sake of righteousness, ^byou ¹are blessed. ^cAnd do not fear their ²intimidation, and do not be troubled,

¹⁵but ¹sanctify ^aChrist as Lord in your hearts, always being ready ^bto make a ²defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet ^cwith gentleness and ^3dreverence;

¹⁶¹and keep a ^agood conscience so that in the thing in which ^byou are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.

¹⁷For ^ait is better, ^bif ¹God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.

¹⁸For ^aChrist also died for sins ^bonce for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might ^cbring us to God, having been put to death ^din the flesh, but made alive ^ein the ¹spirit;