1 W ives, obey your own husbands. Some of your husbands may not obey the Word of God. By obeying your husbands, they may become Christians by the life you live without you saying anything.

In like manner, the wives, be ye subject to your own husbands, that even if certain are disobedient to the word, through the conversation of the wives, without the word, they may be won,

2 T hey will see how you love God and how your lives are pure.

having beheld your pure behaviour in fear,

3 D o not let your beauty come from the outside. It should not be the way you comb your hair or the wearing of gold or the wearing of fine clothes.

whose adorning -- let it not be that which is outward, of plaiting of hair, and of putting around of things of gold, or of putting on of garments,

4 Y our beauty should come from the inside. It should come from the heart. This is the kind that lasts. Your beauty should be a gentle and quiet spirit. In God’s sight this is of great worth and no amount of money can buy it.

but -- the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible thing of the meek and quiet spirit, which is, before God, of great price,

5 T his was the kind of beauty seen in the holy women who lived many years ago. They put their hope in God. They also obeyed their husbands.

for thus once also the holy women who did hope on God, were adorning themselves, being subject to their own husbands,

6 S arah obeyed her husband Abraham. She respected him as the head of the house. You are her children if you do what is right and do not have fear.

as Sarah was obedient to Abraham, calling him `sir,' of whom ye did become daughters, doing good, and not fearing any terror.

7 I n the same way, husbands should understand and respect their wives, because women are weaker than men. Remember, both husband and wife are to share together the gift of life that lasts forever. If this is not done, you will find it hard to pray. Teaching for All Christians

The husbands, in like manner, dwelling with, according to knowledge, as to a weaker vessel -- to the wife -- imparting honour, as also being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.

8 L ast of all, you must share the same thoughts and the same feelings. Love each other with a kind heart and with a mind that has no pride.

And finally, being all of one mind, having fellow-feeling, loving as brethren, compassionate, courteous,

9 W hen someone does something bad to you, do not do the same thing to him. When someone talks about you, do not talk about him. Instead, pray that good will come to him. You were called to do this so you might receive good things from God.

not giving back evil for evil, or railing for railing, and on the contrary, blessing, having known that to this ye were called, that a blessing ye may inherit;

10 F or “If you want joy in your life and have happy days, keep your tongue from saying bad things and your lips from talking bad about others.

for `he who is willing to love life, and to see good days, let him guard his tongue from evil, and his lips -- not to speak guile;

11 T urn away from what is sinful. Do what is good. Look for peace and go after it.

let him turn aside from evil, and do good, let him seek peace and pursue it;

12 T he Lord watches over those who are right with Him. He hears their prayers. But the Lord is against those who sin.”

because the eyes of the Lord upon the righteous, and His ears -- to their supplication, and the face of the Lord upon those doing evil;'

13 W ho will hurt you if you do what is right?

and who he who will be doing you evil, if of Him who is good ye may become imitators?

14 B ut even if you suffer for doing what is right, you will be happy. Do not be afraid or troubled by what they may do to make it hard for you.

but if ye also should suffer because of righteousness, happy! and of their fear be not afraid, nor be troubled,

15 Y our heart should be holy and set apart for the Lord God. Always be ready to tell everyone who asks you why you believe as you do. Be gentle as you speak and show respect.

and the Lord God sanctify in your hearts. And ready always for defence to every one who is asking of you an account concerning the hope that in you, with meekness and fear;

16 K eep your heart telling you that you have done what is right. If men speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see the good way you have lived as a Christian.

having a good conscience, that in that in which they speak against you as evil-doers, they may be ashamed who are traducing your good behaviour in Christ;

17 I f God wants you to suffer, it is better to suffer for doing what is right than for doing what is wrong. Christ Suffered for Us

for better doing good, if the will of God will it, to suffer, than doing evil;

18 C hrist suffered and died for sins once for all. He never sinned and yet He died for us who have sinned. He died so He might bring us to God. His body died but His spirit was made alive.

because also Christ once for sin did suffer -- righteous for unrighteous -- that he might lead us to God, having been put to death indeed, in the flesh, and having been made alive in the spirit,

19 C hrist went and preached to the spirits in prison.

in which also to the spirits in prison having gone he did preach,

20 T hose were the spirits of the people who would not obey in the days of Noah. God waited a long time for them while Noah was building the big boat. But only eight people were saved from dying when the earth was covered with water.

who sometime disbelieved, when once the long-suffering of God did wait, in days of Noah -- an ark being preparing -- in which few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water;

21 T his is like baptism to us. Baptism does not mean we wash our bodies clean. It means we are saved from the punishment of sin and go to God in prayer with a heart that says we are right. This can be done because Christ was raised from the dead.

also to which an antitype doth now save us -- baptism, (not a putting away of the filth of flesh, but the question of a good conscience in regard to God,) through the rising again of Jesus Christ,

22 C hrist has gone to heaven and is on the right side of God. Angels and powers of heaven are obeying Him.

who is at the right hand of God, having gone on to heaven -- messengers, and authorities, and powers, having been subjected to him.