1 Peter 3

Listen to 1 Peter 3

Wives and Husbands

1 Likewise, wives, 1be subject to your own husbands, so that 2even if some do not obey the word, 3they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,
2 when they see your 4respectful and pure conduct.
3 5Do not let your adorning be external--the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear--
4 but let your adorning be 6the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.
5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands,
6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, 7calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and 8do not fear anything that is frightening.
7 Likewise, 9husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker 10vessel, since they are heirs with you[a] of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Suffering for Righteousness' Sake

8 Finally, all of you, 11have unity of mind, sympathy, 12brotherly love, 13a tender heart, and 14a humble mind.
9 15Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, 16bless, for 17to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
10 For 18"Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;
11 let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
13 Now 19who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?
14 20But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. 21Have no fear of them, 22nor be troubled,
15 but 23in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, 24always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and 25respect,
16 26having a good conscience, so that, 27when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
17 For 28it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also 29suffered[b]30 once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, 31that he might bring us to God, being put to death 32in the flesh but made alive 33in the spirit,
19 in which[c] he went and 34proclaimed[d] to the spirits in prison,
20 because[e] they formerly did not obey, 35when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, 36while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, 37eight persons, were brought safely through water.
21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, 38now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but 39as an appeal to God for a good conscience, 40through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22 who has gone into heaven and 41is at the right hand of God, 42with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

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Cross References 42

  • 1. See Genesis 3:16
  • 2. 1 Corinthians 7:16
  • 3. Matthew 18:15; 1 Corinthians 9:19-22
  • 4. Titus 2:5
  • 5. 1 Timothy 2:9; [Isaiah 3:18-23]
  • 6. Romans 2:29; [Romans 7:22; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Ephesians 3:16]
  • 7. Genesis 18:12
  • 8. Proverbs 3:25
  • 9. Ephesians 5:25; Colossians 3:19
  • 10. See 1 Thessalonians 4:4
  • 11. See Romans 12:16
  • 12. See Hebrews 13:1
  • 13. Ephesians 4:32
  • 14. See Ephesians 4:2
  • 15. 1 Peter 2:23; See Romans 12:17
  • 16. Luke 6:28; Romans 12:14; 1 Corinthians 4:12
  • 17. 1 Peter 2:21
  • 18. Cited from Psalms 34:12-16
  • 19. [Proverbs 16:7]
  • 20. 1 Peter 2:19, 20; 1 Peter 4:14, 16; Matthew 5:10
  • 21. Isaiah 8:12, 13; [ver. 6; Matthew 10:28]
  • 22. John 14:1, 27
  • 23. [Isaiah 29:23; Matthew 6:9]
  • 24. Colossians 4:6; [2 Timothy 2:25]
  • 25. See 1 Peter 1:17
  • 26. Hebrews 13:18
  • 27. 1 Peter 2:12
  • 28. 1 Peter 2:20; [1 Peter 4:15, 16]
  • 29. 1 Peter 2:21; 1 Peter 4:1; See Romans 4:25
  • 30. Hebrews 9:26, 28
  • 31. Romans 5:2
  • 32. 1 Peter 4:1; Colossians 1:22; [2 Corinthians 13:4]
  • 33. 1 Peter 4:6
  • 34. [See ver. 18 above]
  • 35. Gen. 6:3, 5, 13, 14
  • 36. Hebrews 11:7
  • 37. Gen. 7:1, 7, 23; Genesis 8:18; 2 Peter 2:5
  • 38. Mark 16:16; Acts 16:33; Romans 6:3-6; Titus 3:5
  • 39. [Romans 10:10]
  • 40. 1 Peter 1:3
  • 41. Acts 2:33, 34; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3
  • 42. Romans 8:38; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 1:21

Footnotes 5

1 Peter 3 Commentaries

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.