| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over | 1In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live, |
| 2by observing your pure and reverent lives. | 2when they see your pure and reverent conduct. |
| 3Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. | 3Let your beauty not be external--the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes-- |
| 4You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. | 4but the inner person of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God's sight. |
| 5This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands. | 5For in the same way the holy women who hoped in God long ago adorned themselves by being subject to their husbands, |
| 6For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do. Husbands | 6like Sarah who obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You become her children when you do what is good and have no fear in doing so. |
| 7In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. All Christians | 7Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as the weaker partners and show them honor as fellow heirs of the grace of life. In this way nothing will hinder your prayers. |
| 8Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. | 8Finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, affectionate, compassionate, and humble. |
| 9Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. | 9Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless others because you were called to inherit a blessing. |
| 10For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. | 10For the one who wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from uttering deceit. |
| 11Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. | 11And he must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. |
| 12The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil.” Suffering for Doing Good | 12For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the Lord's face is against those who do evil. |
| 13Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? | 13For who is going to harm you if you are devoted to what is good? |
| 14But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. | 14But in fact, if you happen to suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. But do not be terrified of them or be shaken. |
| 15Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. | 15But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess. |
| 16But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. | 16Yet do it with courtesy and respect, keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you. |
| 17Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! | 17For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it, than for doing evil. |
| 18Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. | 18Because Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring you to God, by being put to death in the flesh but by being made alive in the spirit. |
| 19So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— | 19In it he went and preached to the spirits in prison, |
| 20those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. | 20after they were disobedient long ago when God patiently waited in the days of Noah as an ark was being constructed. In the ark a few, that is eight souls, were delivered through water. |
| 21And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. | 21And this prefigured baptism, which now saves you--not the washing off of physical dirt but the pledge of a good conscience to God--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, |
| 22Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority. | 22who went into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels and authorities and powers subject to him. |
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