UST 1PET Chapter 3

3 In a similar way, you women who are believers, submit to your husbands. Do this in order that you may persuade any husbands who do not believe the message about the Messiah to become believers without you saying anything to them. 2 They will believe in the Messiah because they see that you behave sincerely and act reverently toward them. 3 Do not make the outside of your bodies beautiful by having fancy hairstyles or by wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Instead, make your unseen mind beautiful in a way that will never fade. I mean, have a humble and peaceful attitude. This is something that God values very much. 5 Do this because this is the way that the women who lived holy lives long ago made themselves beautiful. They trusted in God and submitted to their husbands. 6 Sarah, for example, obeyed her husband Abraham and called him her master. God will consider you to be her daughters if you do good deeds and are not afraid of anything terrible happening to you.

7 You men who are believers, in a similar way, dwell together with your wives in an understanding manner. Treat them as you would treat someone who is weaker than you are. Honor them as those who will also receive God’s gracious gift with you, which is eternal life. Do this so that nothing will hinder you from praying.

8 To end this part of my letter, I say to all of you, have the same mindset among yourselves. Be sympathetic toward each other. Love each other as fellow believers. Act compassionately toward each other. Be humble. 9 When people do evil things to you or insult you, do not do the same to them. Instead, bless them, because that is what God has chosen you to do in order that he may bless you. 10 We know that this is true because, as David wrote,

“As for those who truly want to enjoy good lives,

they must not say evil things or speak deceitful things.

11 They must also refuse to do evil, and do what is good instead.

They must diligently strive to have peaceful relationships with other people.

12 They must do these things, because the Lord watches over righteous people.

He listens and responds to the prayers of righteous people,

but he opposes people who do evil.”

13 It is unlikely that anyone will harm you if you are eager to do what is good. 14 However, even if you suffer because you did what was right, God will bless you. “Do not be afraid of or troubled by the things that other people fear.” 15 Instead, acknowledge in your minds that the Lord Messiah is holy. Always be ready to answer anyone who asks you to tell them about what you are confidently expecting God to do for you. 16 But answer them humbly and reverently, while not doing any wicked thing, in order that God may shame those who despise the good things you do as people united with the Messiah. God will shame them regarding the very things they are speaking falsely against you. 17 Do these things because, if God wants you to suffer, it is better for you to suffer because you did what is good than to suffer because you did what is evil. 18 This is true because the Messiah also suffered. He suffered one time for the sake of other people’s sins. He was a righteous person who died for the benefit of unrighteous people. He died in order to enable you to be with God. Although people killed him, God’s Spirit caused him to become alive again. 19 The Spirit also enabled him to go and announce God’s victory to the evil spirits whom God had imprisoned. 20 Those evil spirits disobeyed God long ago, during the lifetime of Noah. When Noah was building a big boat, God waited patiently to see if people would stop doing what is evil. Only a few people were saved in that boat. Specifically, God brought only eight people safely through the waters of the flood. 21 That water is a symbol that represents the baptism which now saves you. This baptism does not wash dirt off of your bodies. Instead, it shows that we are asking God to assure us that he has forgiven our sins. This baptism saves you by means of God having caused Jesus the Messiah to become alive again. 22 After God caused every evil and powerful spirit to submit to him, the Messiah went to heaven, where he is at the place of highest honor next to God.

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