1 Peter 3 — TCENT

Wives and Husbands

3Verse 1In the same way, wives, submit to your own husbands, so that,⁺even if some are disobedient to the word, they⁺will be won without a word by the way you live^{Verse 2}when they observe your pure and reverent conduct.^{Verse 3}Do not adorn yourselves outwardly with elaborately braided hair, gold jewelry, or fancy clothes.^{Verse 4}Rather, let your adornment be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable quality of a⁺gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God's sight.^{Verse 5}For this is how the holy women who hoped in God adorned themselves in the past, by submitting to their own husbands,^{Verse 6}just as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You have become her children if you do good and do not give way to fear.^{Verse 7}Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker partner, since they are heirs with you of the⁺grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Suffering for Righteousness' Sake

^{Verse 8}Finally, you must all be of one mind, sympathetic, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, and⁺kind.^{Verse 9}Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but, on the contrary, bless,⁺knowing that to this you were called, so that you may inherit a blessing.^{Verse 10}For,
“Whoever wants to love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil,
and his lips from speaking deceit;
^{Verse 11}he must turn aside from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
^{Verse 12}For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”^{Verse 13}Now who will harm you if you become⁺imitators of what is good?^{Verse 14}But even if you do suffer because of righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear people's threats or be troubled,^{Verse 15}but sanctify⁺the Lord God in your hearts. Always be ready to make a defense to anyone who asks you for an explanation of the hope you have within you,⁺with gentleness and respect,^{Verse 16}keeping a clear conscience, so that, when⁺those who revile your good conduct in Christ speak against you as evildoers, they may be put to shame.^{Verse 17}For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is God's will, than to suffer for doing evil.^{Verse 18}For Christ also⁺suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that he might bring⁺us to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit,^{Verse 19}in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison,^{Verse 20}who disobeyed long ago when God⁺waited patiently in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water.^{Verse 21}Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves⁺us—not by removing dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,^{Verse 22}who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.