CHAPTER 3

Wives and Husbands

1 aIn the same way, you wives, bbe subject to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be cwon without a word by the conduct of their wives,

2 as they observe your pure conduct with fear.

3 aYour adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on garments;

4 but let it be athe hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible quality of a lowly and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, awho hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands,

6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, acalling him lord. You have become her children if you do good, 1bnot fearing any intimidation.

7 aYou husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker bvessel, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

8 1Now to sum up, aall of you be like-minded, sympathetic, bbrotherly, ctender-hearted, and dhumble in spirit;

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

10 For,

“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 1Lord are toward the righteous,

And His ears attend to their prayer,

But the face of the 2Lord is against those who do evil.”

Suffering for Righteousness

13 aAnd who is 1there to 2harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?

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

15 but 1sanctify aChrist as Lord in your hearts, always being ready bto make 2a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the chope that is in you, yet dwith gentleness and efear,

16 having a agood conscience so that in the thing in which byou are slandered, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame.

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

18 For aChrist also suffered for sins bonce for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might cbring you to God, having been put to death din the flesh, but made alive ein the 1spirit;

19 in 1which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,

20 who once were disobedient, when the apatience of God bkept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of cthe ark, in which a few, that is, deight epersons, were brought safely through the 1water.

21 aCorresponding to that, baptism now saves you—bnot the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal 1of a cgood conscience to God—through dthe resurrection of Jesus Christ,

22 awho is at the right hand of God, bhaving gone into heaven, cafter angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.