I Peter 3

¹Also wymmen be thei suget to her hosebondis; that if ony man bileue not to the word, bi the conuersacioun of wymmen thei be wonnun with out word.

²And biholde ye in drede youre hooli conuersacioun.

³Of whiche `ther be not with outforth curious ournyng of heer, ether doyng aboute of gold, ethir ournyng of clothing;

⁴but thilke that is the hid man of herte, in vncorrupcioun, and of mylde spirit, which is riche in the siyt of God.

⁵For so sumtyme hooli wymmen hopinge in God ourneden hem silf, and weren suget to her owne hosebondis.

⁶As Sara obeied to Abraham, and clepide hym lord; of whom ye ben douytris wel doynge, and not dredynge ony perturbacioun.

⁷Also men dwelle togidre, and bi kunnyng yyue ye onoure to the wommanus freeltee, as to the more feble, and as to euen eiris of grace and of lijf, that youre preieris be not lettid.

⁸And in feith alle of oon wille in preier be ye eche suffringe with othere, loueris of britherhod, merciful, mylde, meke;

⁹not yeldinge yuel for yuel, nether cursing for cursing, but ayenward blessinge; for in this thing ye ben clepid, that ye welde blessinge bi eritage.

¹⁰For he that wole loue lijf, and se goode daies, constreyne his tunge from yuel, and hise lippis, that thei speke not gile.

¹¹And bowe he from yuel, and do good; seke he pees, and perfitli sue it.

¹²For the iyen of the Lord ben on iust men, and hise eris on the preieris of hem; but the cheer of the Lord is on men that don yuels.

¹³And who is it that schal anoye you, if ye ben sueris and louyeris of goodnesse?

¹⁴But also if ye suffren ony thing for riytwisnesse, ye ben blessid; but drede ye not the drede of hem, that ye be not disturblid.

¹⁵But halewe ye the Lord Crist in youre hertis, and euermore be ye redi to satisfaccioun to ech man axynge you resoun of that feith and hope that is in you,

¹⁶but with myldenesse and drede, hauynge good conscience; that in that thing that thei bacbiten of you, thei ben confoundid, whiche chalengen falsly youre good conuersacioun in Crist.

¹⁷For it is betere that ye do wel, and suffre, if the wille of God wole, than doynge yuele.

¹⁸For also Crist onys diede for oure synnes, he iust for vniust, that he schulde offre to God vs, maad deed in fleisch, but maad quik in spirit.

¹⁹For which thing he cam in spirit, and also to hem that weren closid togidre in prisoun prechide;

²⁰whiche weren sum tyme vnbileueful, whanne thei abididen the pacience of God in the daies of Noe, whanne the schip was maad, in which a few, that is to seie, eiyte soulis weren maad saaf bi water.

²¹And so baptym of lijk forme makith vs saaf; not the puttyng awei of the filthis of fleisch, but the axyng of a good conscience in God, bi the ayenrysyng of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, that is in the riyt half of God,

²²and swolewith deth, that we schulden be made eiris of euerlastinge lijf. He yede in to heuene, and aungelis, and powers, and vertues, ben maad sugetis to hym.

I Peter 3

¹Likewise, 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;

²While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

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

⁴But 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.

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

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

⁷Likewise, 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.

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

⁹Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should 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 eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

¹²For 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.

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

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

¹⁵But 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:

¹⁶Having 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.

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

¹⁸For 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:

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

²⁰Which 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.

²¹The 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:

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