Wives and Husbands
1 If you are a wife, you must put your husband first. Even if he opposes our message, you will win him over by what you do. No one else will have to say anything to him, 2 because he will see how you honor God and live a pure life. 3 Don't depend on things like fancy hairdos or gold jewelry or expensive clothes to make you look beautiful. 4 Be beautiful in your heart by being gentle and quiet. This kind of beauty will last, and God considers it very special.
5 Long ago those women who worshiped God and put their hope in him made themselves beautiful by putting their husbands first. 6 For example, Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her true children, if you do right and don't let anything frighten you.
7 If you are a husband, you should be thoughtful of your wife. Treat her with honor, because she isn't as strong as you are, and she shares with you in the gift of life. Then nothing will stand in the way of your prayers.
Suffering for Doing Right
8 Finally, all of you should agree and have concern and love for each other. You should also be kind and humble. 9 Don't be hateful and insult people just because they are hateful and insult you. Instead, treat everyone with kindness. You are God's chosen ones, and he will bless you. The Scriptures say,
10 “Do you really love life?
Do you want to be happy?
Then stop saying cruel things
and quit telling lies.
11 Give up your evil ways
and do right,
as you find and follow
the road to peace.
12 The Lord watches over
everyone who obeys him,
and he listens
to their prayers.
But he opposes everyone
who does evil.”
13 Can anyone really harm you for being eager to do good deeds? 14 Even if you have to suffer for doing good things, God will bless you. So stop being afraid and don't worry about what people might do. 15 Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life.
Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope. 16 Give a kind and respectful answer and keep your conscience clear. This way you will make people ashamed for saying bad things about your good conduct as a follower of Christ. 17 You are better off to obey God and suffer for doing right than to suffer for doing wrong.
18 Christ died once for our sins.
An innocent person died
for those who are guilty.
Christ did this
to bring you to God,
when his body
was put to death
and his spirit
was made alive.
19 Christ then preached to the spirits that were being kept in prison. 20 They had disobeyed God while Noah was building the boat, but God had been patient with them. Eight people went into that boat and were brought safely through the flood.
21 Those flood waters were like baptism that now saves you. But baptism is more than just washing your body. It means turning to God with a clear conscience, because Jesus Christ was raised from death. 22 Christ is now in heaven, where he sits at the right side of God. All angels, authorities, and powers are under his control.
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.