The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Letter 03
1 In the same way, wives, be insubjection
to your own husbands, so that, even if any
don’t obey the Word, they may be won by
the behavior of their wives without a word,
2 seeing your pure behavior in fear.
3 Let your beauty come not from the outward
adorning of braiding your hair, and
of wearing gold ornaments or of putting on
fine clothing,
4 but from the hidden person of the
heart, in the incorruptible adornment of
a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very
precious in God’s sight.
5 For this is how in the past the holy
women who hoped in God also adorned
themselves, being in subjection to their
own husbands.
6 So Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him
lord, whose children you now are if you do
well and are not put in fear by any terror.
7 You husbands, in the same way, live
with your wives according to knowledge,
giving honor to the woman as to the
weaker vessel, as also being joint heirs of
the grace of life, that your prayers may not
be hindered.
8 Finally, all of you be like-minded,
compassionate, loving as brothers,
tenderhearted, courteous,
9 not rendering evil for evil or insult
for insult; but instead blessing, knowing
that you were called to this, that you may
inherit a blessing.
10 For, “He who would love life
and see good days, let him keep
his tongue from evil and his lips
from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turnaway from evil anddo good.
Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the
righteous, and his ears open to their prayer;
butthe face ofthe Lord is againstthose
who do evil.”*
13 Now who will harm you if you become
imitators of that which is good?
14 But even if you should suffer for
righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “Don’t
fear what they fear, neither be troubled.”*
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your
hearts. Always be ready to give an
answer to everyone who asks you a reason
concerning the hope that is in you, with
humility and fear,
16 having a good conscience. Thus, while
you are spoken against as evildoers, they
may be disappointed who curse your good
way of life in Christ.
17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, that
you suffer for doing what is right than for
doing evil.
18 Because Christ also suffered for sins
once, the righteous for the unrighteous,
that he might bring you to God, being put
to death in the flesh, but made alive in the
Spirit,
19 in whom he also went and preached to
the spirits in prison,
20 who before were disobedient when
God waited patiently in the days of Noah
while the ship was being built. In it, few,
that is, eight souls, were saved through
water.
21 This is a symbol of baptism, which
now saves you—not the putting away of
the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a
good conscience toward God—through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22 who is at the right hand of God, having
gone into heaven, angels and authorities
and powers being made subject to him.