I Peter 3

¹Similarly also, wives should be subject to their husbands, so that, even if some do not believe the Word, they may benefit without the Word, through the behavior of these wives,

²as they consider with fear your chaste behavior.

³For you, there should be no unnecessary adornment of the hair, or surrounding with gold, or the wearing of ornate clothing.

⁴Instead, you should be a hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptibility of a quiet and meek spirit, rich in the sight of God.

⁵For in this way, in past times also, holy women adorned themselves, hoping in God, being subject to their own husbands.

⁶For so Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You are her daughters, well-behaved and unafraid of any disturbance.

⁷Similarly, you husbands should live with them in accord with knowledge, bestowing honor on the female as the weaker vessel and as co-heirs of the life of grace, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

⁸And finally, may you all be of one mind: compassionate, loving brotherhood, merciful, meek, humble,

⁹not repaying evil with evil, nor slander with slander, but, to the contrary, repaying with blessings. For to this you have been called, so that you may possess the inheritance of a blessing.

¹⁰For whoever wants to love life and to see good days should restrain his tongue from evil, and his lips, so that they utter no deceit.

¹¹Let him turn away from evil, and do good. Let him seek peace, and pursue it.

¹²For the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears are with their prayers, but the countenance of the Lord is upon those who do evil.

¹³And who is it who can harm you, if you are zealous in what is good?

¹⁴And yet, even when you suffer something for the sake of justice, you are blessed. So then, do not be afraid with their fear, and do not be disturbed.

¹⁵But sanctify Christ the Lord in your hearts, being always ready to give an explanation to all who ask you the reason for that hope which is in you.

¹⁶But do so with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, so that, in whatever matter they may slander you, they shall be confounded, since they falsely accuse your good behavior in Christ.

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

¹⁸For Christ also died once for our sins, the Just One on behalf of the unjust, so that he might offer us to God, having died, certainly, in the flesh, but having been enlivened by the Spirit.

¹⁹And in the Spirit, he preached to those who were in prison, going to those souls

²⁰who had been unbelieving in past times, while they waited for the patience of God, as in the days of Noah, when the ark was being built. In that ark, a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.

²¹And now you also are saved, in a similar manner, by baptism, not by the testimony of sordid flesh, but by the examination of a good conscience in God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

²²He is at the right hand of God, devouring death, so that we may be made heirs to eternal life. And since he has journeyed to heaven, the Angels and powers and virtues are subject to him.

I Peter 3

¹In like manner also, let wives be subject to their husbands: that, if any believe not the word, they may be won without the word, by the conversation of the wives,

²Considering your chaste conversation with fear.

³Whose adorning, let it not be the outward plaiting of the hair, or the wearing of gold, or the putting on of apparel:

⁴But the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptibility of a quiet and a meek spirit which is rich in the sight of God.

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

⁶As Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters you are, doing well and not fearing any disturbance.

⁷Ye husbands, likewise dwelling with them according to knowledge, giving honour to the female as to the weaker vessel and as to the co-heirs of the grace of life: that your prayers be not hindered.

⁸And in fine, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, being lovers of the brotherhood, merciful, modest, humble:

⁹Not rendering evil for evil, nor railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing: for unto this are you called, that you may inherit a blessing.

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

¹¹Let him decline from evil and do good: Let him seek after peace and pursue it:

¹²Because the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto their prayers but the countenance of the Lord upon them that do evil things.

¹³And who is he that can hurt you, if you be zealous of good?

¹⁴But if also you suffer any thing for justice' sake, blessed are ye. And be not afraid of their fear: and be not troubled.

¹⁵But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you.

¹⁶But with modesty and fear, having a good conscience: that whereas they speak evil of you, they may be ashamed who falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

¹⁷For it is better doing well (if such be the will of God) to suffer than doing ill.

¹⁸Because Christ also died once for our sins, the just for the unjust: that he might offer us to God, being put to death indeed in the flesh, but enlivened in the spirit,

¹⁹In which also coming he preached to those spirits that were in prison:

²⁰Which had been some time incredulous, when they waited for the patience of God in the days of Noe, when the ark was a building: wherein a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.

²¹Whereunto baptism, being of the like form, now saveth you also: not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but, the examination of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

²²Who is on the right hand of God, swallowing down death that we might be made heirs of life everlasting: being gone into heaven, the angels and powers and virtues being made subject to him.