1 Petrus 3
1 Insgelijks gij vrouwen, zijt onderdanig aan uw eigen mannen, opdat ook als sommigen ongehoorzaam zijn aan het woord, zij door de levensmanier der vrouwen zonder woord mogen gewonnen worden,
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 lettende op uw reinen wandel in eerbiedigheid.
[They will believe in Christ] when they see that you respect them and that your way of life is pure.
3 Het versiersel der vrouwen moet niet uitwendig zijn, in gekrulde haren en het omhangen van goud, of het pronken met kleederen,
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 maar in den verborgen mensch des harten, in het onverderfelijk sieraad van een zachtmoedigen en stillen geest, die kostelijk is voor Gods aangezicht.
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 Want alzoo ook versierden zich zelven eertijds de heilige vrouwen die op God hoopten, en aan haar mannen onderdanig waren;
(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 zooals ook Sara aan Abraham onderdanig was, hem heer noemende, welker dochteren gij zijt geworden, als gij weldoet en u door geen vreeze laat ontstellen.
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 Gij mannen evenzoo, leeft met haar verstandig, eerbiedigheid bewijzende aan het vrouwelijk geslacht als aan het zwakste, als die ook mede erfgenamen zijn van de genade des levens, opdat uw gebeden niet worden verhinderd.
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 En eindelijk, zijt allen eensgezind, medelijdend, broederlievend, barmhartig, nederig,
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 geen kwaad met kwaad vergeldende of schelden met schelden, maar integendeel hen zegenende, want daartoe zijt gij geroepen, opdat gij den zegen zoudt beërven.
[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 Want die het leven wil beminnen en goede dagen zien, die bedwinge zijn tong van het kwaad en zijn lippen van bedrog te spreken;
[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 die wijke af van het kwaad en doe goed, en zoeke vrede en jage dien na;
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 want des Heeren oogen zijn op rechtvaardigen en zijn ooren tot hun geroep, maar des Heeren aangezicht is tegen kwaaddoeners.
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 En wie zal u kwaad doen als gij ijveraars voor het goede geworden zijt?
If you (are eager/try very hard) to do good things, [most people] will not harm you. [RHQ]
14 Maar als gij ook al lijdt om de rechtvaardigheid, dan zijt gij zalig; vreest dan hun dreigementen niet en ontstelt niet,
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 maar heiligt Christus in uw harten als Heer, altijd gereed tot verdediging aan al wie u rekenschap zou vragen wegens de hope die in u is, maar met zachtmoedigheid en eerbiedigheid,
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 een goede konsciëntie hebbende, opdat zij beschaamd worden mogen in hetgeen zij van u kwaadspreken, zij die lasteren uw goeden wandel in Christus.
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 Want beter is het toch, als de wil van God zoo is, om weldoende te lijden, dan kwaaddoende.
[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 Want Christus is ook eenmaal voor de zonden gestorven, de Rechvaardige voor onrechtvaardigen, opdat Hij ons tot God zou brengen; die wel gedood is naar het vleesch, doch levend gemaakt naar den geest,
[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 waarin Hij ook is heengegaan en gepredikt heeft aan geesten in de gevangenis,
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 die eertijds ongehoorzaam waren toen de lankmoedigheid Gods verlengd was, in de dagen van Noach, terwijl de ark werd toebereid, waarin weinige, dat is acht zielen, behouden werden door het water heen;
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 dat water, waarvan het tegenbeeld, de doop, u nu ook behoudt, niet als een afwassching van de onreinheid des lichaams, maar als de toezegging van een goede konsciëntie tot God, door de verrijzenis van Jezus Christus,
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 die is aan Gods rechterhand, heengegaan naaiden hemel, terwijl engelen en krachten en machten Hem onderworpen zijn.
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.
A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark
