1 Peter 3
1 In this way, you who are wives should submit to your own husbands. Do this so even if some men are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word, through their wives' behavior.
You women [believers], just like [slaves should submit themselves to their masters], submit yourselves to your husbands. Do that in order that if any of them do not believe the message [about Christ], they may become believers without [it being necessary for] you to say anything to them [about their relationship to God].
2 For they will have seen your sincere behavior with respect.
[They will believe in Christ] when they see that you respect them and that your way of life is pure.
3 Let it be done not with outward ornaments such as braided hair, jewels of gold, or fashionable clothing.
Do not be [trying to make] yourselves beautiful by decorating the outside [of your bodies], such as (by the way you comb your hair/by your hair [style]) or by wearing gold jewelry and fine clothes.
4 Instead, let it be done with the inner person of the heart, and the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious before God.
Instead, make your (inner beings/hearts) [beautiful] with qualities/attitudes that will not fade away. Specifically, have a humble and quiet/calm attitude, which is something that God considers to be very valuable.
5 For this is how holy women long ago who hoped in God adorned themselves, by submitting to their husbands.
(The devout women/The women who habitually worshipped God) who lived long ago and who trusted in God made themselves beautiful [by having attitudes] like that, and by being submissive to their husbands.
6 In this way Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are now her children if you do what is good and if you are not afraid of trouble.
Sarah, for example, obeyed [her husband] Abraham and called him ‘my master’. You will be [as though you are] [MET] her daughters if you do what is right and are not afraid [of what your husbands or anyone else may do to you because you are believers].
7 In the same way, you husbands should live with your wives according to understanding, as with a weaker container, a woman. You should give them honor as fellow heirs of the grace of life. Do this so that your prayers will not be hindered.
You men [who are believers], just like your wives should respect you, you should conduct your lives in an appropriate way with them. Treat them respectfully, realizing that they are [usually] weaker than you are, and realizing that (they share with you/both of you have) the gift [that God has kindly given to you, which is eternal] life. Do this so that nothing will hinder you from praying (OR, hinder [God] ([from answering/from doing what you ask for]) when you pray).
8 Finally, all of you, be likeminded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, and humble.
To end [this part of my letter], [I say to] all of you, agree with each other [in what you think]. Be sympathetic [toward each other]. Love [each other as] members of the same family [should]. Act compassionately [toward each other]. Be humble.
9 Do not pay back evil for evil or insult for insult. On the contrary, continue to bless, because for this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing.
[When people do] evil things to you or insult you, do not (retaliate/repay them by) doing evil things to them or insulting them. Instead, [ask God to] bless them, because that is what you have been chosen [by God] {what [God] called you} to do, in order that you may receive a blessing [from him].
10 “The one who wants to love life and see good days should stop his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
[Consider what the Psalmist wrote about the proper way of conducting our lives], As for those who want (to enjoy life/to live happily) and experience good [things happening to them every] day, they must not say [MTY] something that is evil or say [MTY] something that deceives others.
11 Let him turn away from what is bad and do what is good. Let him seek peace and pursue it.
They must continually turn away from [doing] anything that is evil, and must do things that are good [instead]. They must deeply desire to enable [people to act] peacefully toward each other; they must zealously [urge people to act in a] peaceful way,
12 The eyes of the Lord see the righteous, and his ears hear their requests. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
because the Lord sees [MTY] what righteous people do [and he appreciates/likes what they do]. He listens to righteous people when they pray, [and he answers them]. But he is [MTY] opposed to those who do evil things.
13 Who is the one who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good?
If you (are eager/try very hard) to do good things, [most people] will not harm you. [RHQ]
14 But if you suffer because of righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear. Do not be troubled.
But even if you suffer because of [doing] what is right, [God] will bless you. [Do as Isaiah wrote]: “Do not be afraid of people who (threaten you/say things to cause you to be afraid of what they might do to you), and do not worry about [DOU] what they [might do to you].”
15 Instead, set apart the Lord Christ in your hearts as holy. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you why you have confidence in God. Do this with meekness and respect.
Instead, acknowledge that Christ is the one who is in complete control [of your lives]. Always be ready to answer everyone who demands that you tell them about what you confidently expect [God to do for you].
16 Have a good conscience so that the people who insult your good life in Christ may be ashamed because they are speaking against you as if you were evildoers.
But answer them humbly and respectfully, and make sure that you (do/have done) nothing wrong, in order that those who say evil things about you may be ashamed when they see the good way in which you are conducting yourselves because of your relationship with Christ.
17 It is better, if God desires, that you suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
[It may be that God wants you] to suffer. But it is better to do good things, [even if you suffer for doing them], than to do evil things and suffer [for doing that].
18 Christ also suffered once for sins. He who is righteous suffered for us, who were unrighteous, so that he would bring us to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but he was made alive by the Spirit.
[I say that] because Christ died once for the sake of people who have sinned. He was a righteous person who died for unrighteous people. He died in order that (he might bring us to/we might begin an intimate relationship with) God. [During the time that he had] an ordinary body, he was killed {people killed him}, but [God’s] Spirit caused him to become alive again.
19 By the Spirit, he went and preached to the spirits who are now in prison.
The Spirit also helped him as he went to proclaim [God’s victory to the evil] spirits whom God had imprisoned [in the heavens] (OR, to the spirits of those who [had died, and who] were in the place where the spirits of dead people are).
20 They were disobedient when the patience of God was waiting in the days of Noah, in the days of the building of an ark, and God saved a few people—eight souls—by means of the water.
Long ago, during the time that Noah was building a big boat, [those evil spirits] disobeyed God when he waited patiently [PRS] [to see if people would turn from their evil behavior]. Only a few people were saved {[God] saved only a few people} [in that boat]. Specifically, [God] brought only eight persons safely through the waters [of the flood], [while all the others drowned in it].
21 This is a symbol of the baptism that saves you now—not as a washing away of dirt from the body, but as the appeal of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
That water, [by means of which eight people were saved when God punished the other people] [MET], represents [the water in which we are] baptized [to show that God has] saved us [from being punished]. The water in which we are baptized does not remove dirt from our bodies. Instead, [it shows that] we are requesting [God to assure us] that he has removed our guilt [for having sinned]. And because Jesus Christ became alive again after he died, [we know that God accepted his sacrifice for us and because of that he was able to remove our guilt].
22 Christ is at the right hand of God. He went into heaven. Angels, authorities, and powers must submit to him.
Christ has gone into heaven and is ruling [MTY] in the place of highest honor (next to God/at God’s side), after [God] caused all the evil and powerful spirit beings [DOU] to be made subject to him.
