8 Finally, everyone should be agreeable and sympathetic to others, kind and caring towards those around you, humble 9 and not repaying evil with evil or insult with insult, but rather be a blessing to others. You were called to do that so that you chosen people can receive a blessing, 10 [ref]because it’s written:

‘The person wanting to enjoy life and see good days,

let their tongue cease from evil,

and their lips not speak deceit.

11 Let them turn away from evil and do good,

let them look for peace and chase after it,

12 because Yahweh looks kindly on the righteous,

and his ears listen to their petition,

but Yahweh turns his face away from those who do evil.’

13 Who’s going to mistreat you if you chosen people start actively doing good? 14 [ref]But even if some of you do suffer because of your godliness, you will be blessed. Don’t be scared or disturbed because of your fear of them, 15 but revere the messiah as the master of your hearts. Always be ready to explain the hope that you chosen people have if anyone asks, 16 but do it with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that if you’re falsely accused of doing evil, then the ones who’ll be disgraced will be the ones who mistreat you chosen people, because of the good way you live because of the message. 17 After all, it’s better to do good, and then, if God intends it, to suffer, than to do evil, 18 because the messiah also died once for sin, that is, the sinless one died for sinful people, so that he can bring you chosen people past death onward to God. Although he experienced physical death, he’d been given life in the spirit, 19 and with that life he also went to the spirits in prison and preached to them—20 [ref]those who’d refused to believe. God had waited patiently in Noah’s time when the barge was being built, yet only a few were saved. Eight of them were brought safely through the waters, 21 which also represents how being immersed saved you chosen people. It doesn’t remove the filth from your bodies, but cleans the conscience as you make a pledge to God based on the coming back to life of Yeshua the messiah, 22 who went to heaven and sat at God’s right, with God’s messengers and authorities and powers all under his authority.