1 Peter 3-5

I Peter 3

¹In like manner, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behaviour of their wives;

²beholding your chaste behaviour coupled with fear.

³Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel;

⁴but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

⁵For after this manner aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands:

⁶as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose children ye now are, if ye do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.

⁷Ye husbands, in like manner, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honour unto the woman, as unto the weaker vessel, as being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; to the end that your prayers be not hindered.

⁸Finally, be ye all likeminded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded:

⁹not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

¹⁰For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile:

¹¹And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it.

¹²For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And his ears unto their supplication: But the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil.

¹³And who is he that will harm you, if ye be zealous of that which is good?

¹⁴But and if ye should suffer for righteousness’ sake, blessed are ye: and fear not their fear, neither be troubled;

¹⁵but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear:

¹⁶having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in Christ.

¹⁷For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing.

¹⁸Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the spirit;

¹⁹in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison,

²⁰which aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:

²¹which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ;

²²who is on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

I Peter 4

¹Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

²that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

³For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries:

⁴wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

⁵who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

⁶For unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

⁷But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer:

⁸above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins:

⁹using hospitality one to another without murmuring:

¹⁰according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God;

¹¹if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God; if any man ministereth, ministering as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

¹²Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you:

¹³but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy.

¹⁴If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you.

¹⁵For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men’s matters:

¹⁶but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.

¹⁷For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?

¹⁸And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?

¹⁹Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator.

I Peter 5

¹The elders therefore among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

²Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according unto God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

³neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock.

⁴And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away.

⁵Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.

⁶Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time;

⁷casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you.

⁸Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

⁹whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.

¹⁰And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, stablish, strengthen you.

¹¹To him be the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

¹²By Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I account him, I have written unto you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God: stand ye fast therein.

¹³She that is in Babylon, elect together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Mark my son.

¹⁴Salute one another with a kiss of love. Peace be unto you all that are in Christ.