Wives and Husbands
1 In the same way you wives must submit yourselves to your husbands, so that if any of them do not believe God's word, your conduct will win them over to believe. It will not be necessary for you to say a word, 2 because they will see how pure and reverent your conduct is. 3 You should not use outward aids to make yourselves beautiful, such as the way you fix your hair, or the jewelry you put on, or the dresses you wear. 4 Instead, your beauty should consist of your true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest value in God's sight. 5 For the devout women of the past who placed their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful by submitting themselves to their husbands. 6 Sarah was like that; she obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are now her daughters if you do good and are not afraid of anything.
7 In the same way you husbands must live with your wives with the proper understanding that they are more delicate than you. Treat them with respect, because they also will receive, together with you, God's gift of life. Do this so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.
Suffering for Doing Right
8 To conclude: you must all have the same attitude and the same feelings; love one another, and be kind and humble with one another. 9 Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you. 10 As the scripture says,
“If you want to enjoy life
and wish to see good times,
you must keep from speaking evil
and stop telling lies.
11 You must turn away from evil and do good;
you must strive for peace with all your heart.
12 For the Lord watches over the righteous
and listens to their prayers;
but he opposes those who do evil.”
13 Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for doing what is right, how happy you are! Do not be afraid of anyone, and do not worry. 15 But have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honor him as Lord. Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you, 16 but do it with gentleness and respect. Keep your conscience clear, so that when you are insulted, those who speak evil of your good conduct as followers of Christ will become ashamed of what they say. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if this should be God's will, than for doing evil. 18 For Christ died for sins once and for all, a good man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death physically, but made alive spiritually, 19 and in his spiritual existence he went and preached to the imprisoned spirits. 20 These were the spirits of those who had not obeyed God when he waited patiently during the days that Noah was building his boat. The few people in the boat—eight in all—were saved by the water, 21 which was a symbol pointing to baptism, which now saves you. It is not the washing off of bodily dirt, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. It saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone to heaven and is at the right side of God, ruling over all angels and heavenly authorities and powers.
1 Likewise let the wiues bee subiect to their husbands, that euen they which obey not the worde, may without the worde be wonne by the conuersation of the wiues, 2 While they beholde your pure conuersation, which is with feare. 3 Whose apparelling, let it not be that outwarde, with broyded heare, and golde put about, or in putting on of apparell: 4 But let it bee the hidde man of the heart, which consisteth in the incorruption of a meeke and quiet spirite, which is before God a thing much set by. 5 For euen after this maner in time past did the holy women, which trusted in God, tire them selues, and were subiect to their husbands. 6 As Sara obeyed Abraham, and called him Sir: whose daughters ye are, whiles yee doe well, not being afraide of any terrour. 7 Likewise ye husbands, dwel with them as men of knowledge, giuing honour vnto the woman, as vnto the weaker vessell, euen as they which are heires together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not interrupted. 8 Finally, be ye all of one minde: one suffer with another: loue as brethren: bee pitifull: bee courteous, 9 Not rendring euil for euill, neither rebuke for rebuke: but contrarywise blesse, knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should be heires of blessing. 10 For if any man long after life, and to see good dayes, let him refraine his tongue from euill, and his lippes that they speake no guile. 11 Let him eschew euil, and do good: let him seeke peace, and follow after it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are ouer the righteous, and his eares are open vnto their prayers: and the face of the Lord is against them that do euil. 13 And who is it that will harme you, if ye follow that which is good? 14 Notwithstanding blessed are ye, if ye suffer for righteousnes sake. Yea, feare not their feare, neither be troubled. 15 But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready alwayes to giue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekenesse and reuerence, 16 Hauing a good coscience, that whe they speake euill of you as of euill doers, they may be ashamed, which slander your good conuersation in Christ. 17 For it is better (if the will of God be so) that ye suffer for well doing, then for euil doing. 18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sinnes, the iust for the vniust, that he might bring vs to God, and was put to death concerning the flesh, but was quickened by the spirit. 19 By the which hee also went, and preached vnto the spirits that are in prison. 20 Which were in time passed disobedient, when once the long suffering of God abode in the dayes of Noe, while the Arke was preparing, wherein fewe, that is, eight soules were saued in the water. 21 Whereof the baptisme that nowe is, answering that figure, (which is not a putting away of the filth of the flesh, but a confident demaunding which a good conscience maketh to God) saueth vs also by the resurrection of Iesus Christ, 22 Which is at the right hand of God, gone into heauen, to whom the Angels, and Powers, and might are subiect.