| Chapter 3 |
1 | Likewise, wives, [be] subject to your own husbands, that, even if any are disobedient to the word, they may be gained without [the] word by the conversation of the wives,
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2 | having witnessed your pure conversation [carried out] in fear;
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3 | whose adorning let it not be that outward one of tressing of hair, and wearing gold, or putting on apparel;
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4 | but the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible [ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price.
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5 | For thus also the holy women who have hoped in God heretofore adorned themselves, being subject to their own husbands;
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6 | as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose children ye have become, doing good, and not fearing with any kind of consternation.
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7 | [Ye] husbands likewise, dwell with [them] according to knowledge, as with a weaker, [even] the female, vessel, giving [them] honour, as also fellow-heirs of [the] grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.
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8 | Finally, [be] all of one mind, sympathising, full of brotherly love, tender hearted, humble minded;
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9 | not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing; but on the contrary, blessing [others], because ye have been called to this, that ye should inherit blessing.
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10 | For he that will love life and see good days, let him cause his tongue to cease from evil and his lips that they speak no guile.
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11 | And let him avoid evil, and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it;
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12 | because [the] eyes of [the] Lord [are] on [the] righteous, and his ears towards their supplications; but [the] face of [the] Lord [is] against them that do evil.
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13 | And who shall injure you if ye have become imitators of that which [is] good?
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14 | But if also ye should suffer for righteousness' sake, blessed [are ye]; but be not afraid of their fear, neither be troubled;
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15 | but sanctify [the] Lord the Christ in your hearts, and [be] always prepared to [give] an answer [to] every one that asks you to give an account of the hope that [is] in you, but with meekness and fear;
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16 | having a good conscience, that [as to that] in which they speak against you as evildoers, they may be ashamed who calumniate your good conversation in Christ.
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17 | For [it is] better, if the will of God should will it, to suffer [as] well-doers than [as] evildoers;
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18 | for Christ indeed has once suffered for sins, [the] just for [the] unjust, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in flesh, but made alive in [the] Spirit,
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19 | in which also going he preached to the spirits [which are] in prison,
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20 | heretofore disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in [the] days of Noah while the ark was preparing, into which few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:
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21 | which figure also now saves you, [even] baptism, not a putting away of [the] filth of flesh, but [the] demand as before God of a good conscience, by [the] resurrection of Jesus Christ,
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22 | who is at [the] right hand of God, gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being subjected to him.
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