1 Peter · Bible in Basic English
1 Peter 3 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Wives, be ruled by your husbands; so that even if some of them give no attention to the word, their hearts may be changed by the behaviour of their wives,
1 Ὁμοίως αἱ γυναῖκες ὑποτασσόμεναι τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν, ἵνα καὶ εἴ τινες ἀπειθοῦσι τῷ λόγῳ, διὰ τῆς τῶν γυναικῶν ἀναστροφῆς ἄνευ λόγου κερδηθήσονται,
2 When they see your holy behaviour in the fear of God.
2 ἐποπτεύσαντες τὴν ἐν φόβῳ ἁγνὴν ἀναστροφὴν ὑμῶν.
3 Do not let your ornaments be those of the body such as dressing of the hair, or putting on of jewels of gold or fair clothing;
3 ὧν ἔστω οὐχ ὁ ἔξωθεν ἐμπλοκῆς τριχῶν καὶ περιθέσεως χρυσίων ἢ ἐνδύσεως ἱματίων κόσμος,
4 But let them be those of the unseen man of the heart, the ever-shining ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great price in the eyes of God.
4 ἀλλ᾽ ὁ κρυπτὸς τῆς καρδίας ἄνθρωπος ἐν τῷ ἀφθάρτῳ τοῦ πραέος καὶ ἡσυχίου πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ πολυτελές.
5 And these were the ornaments of the holy women of the past, whose hope was in God, being ruled by their husbands:
5 οὕτω γάρ ποτε καὶ αἱ ἅγιαι γυναῖκες αἱ ἐλπίζουσαι ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐκόσμουν ἑαυτάς, ὑποτασσόμεναι τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν,
6 As Sarah was ruled by Abraham, naming him lord; whose children you are if you do well, and are not put in fear by any danger.
6 ὡς Σάρρα ὑπήκουσε τῷ Ἀβραάμ, κύριον αὐτὸν καλοῦσα· ἧς ἐγενήθητε τέκνα· — ἀγαθοποιοῦσαι καὶ μὴ φοβούμεναι μηδεμίαν πτόησιν.
7 And you husbands, give thought to your way of life with your wives, giving honour to the woman who is the feebler vessel, but who has an equal part in the heritage of the grace of life; so that you may not be kept from prayer.
7 Οἱ ἄνδρες ὁμοίως συνοικοῦντες κατὰ γνῶσιν, ὡς ἀσθενεστέρῳ σκεύει τῷ γυναικείῳ ἀπονέμοντες τιμήν, ὡς καὶ συγκληρονόμοι χάριτος ζωῆς, εἰς τὸ μὴ ἐγκόπτεσθαι τὰς προσευχὰς ὑμῶν.
8 Last of all, see that you are all in agreement; feeling for one another, loving one another like brothers, full of pity, without pride:
8 Τὸ δὲ τέλος πάντες ὁμόφρονες, συμπαθεῖς, φιλάδελφοι, εὔσπλαγχνοι, φιλόφρονες,
9 Not giving back evil for evil, or curse for curse, but in place of cursing, blessing; because this is the purpose of God for you that you may have a heritage of blessing.
9 μὴ ἀποδιδόντες κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἢ λοιδορίαν ἀντὶ λοιδορίας, τοὐναντίον δὲ εὐλογοῦντες, εἰδότες ὅτι εἰς τοῦτο ἐκλήθητε, ἵνα εὐλογίαν κληρονομήσητε.
10 For it is said, Let the man who has a love of life, desiring to see good days, keep his tongue from evil and his lips from words of deceit:
10 ὁ γὰρ θέλων ζωὴν ἀγαπᾶν καὶ ἰδεῖν ἡμέρας ἀγαθὰς παυσάτω τὴν γλῶσσαν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κακοῦ καὶ χείλη αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ λαλῆσαι δόλον,
11 And let him be turned from evil and do good; searching for peace and going after it with all his heart.
11 ἐκκλινάτω ἀπὸ κακοῦ καὶ ποιησάτω ἀγαθόν, ζητησάτω εἰρήνην καὶ διωξάτω αὐτήν.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the upright, and his ears are open to their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
12 ὅτι ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ὦτα αὐτοῦ εἰς δέησιν αὐτῶν, πρόσωπον δὲ Κυρίου ἐπὶ ποιοῦντας κακά.
13 Who will do you any damage if you keep your minds fixed on what is good?
13 Καὶ τίς ὁ κακώσων ὑμᾶς, ἐὰν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ μιμηταὶ γένησθε;
14 But you are happy if you undergo pain because of righteousness; have no part in their fear and do not be troubled;
14 ἀλλ᾽ εἰ καὶ πάσχοιτε διὰ δικαιοσύνην, μακάριοι. τὸν δὲ φόβον αὐτῶν μὴ φοβηθῆτε μηδὲ ταραχθῆτε,
15 But give honour to Christ in your hearts as your Lord; and be ready at any time when you are questioned about the hope which is in you, to give an answer in the fear of the Lord and without pride;
15 Κύριον δὲ τὸν Θεὸν ἁγιάσατε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν, ἕτοιμοι δὲ ἀεὶ πρὸς ἀπολογίαν παντὶ τῷ αἰτοῦντι ὑμᾶς λόγον περὶ τῆς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐλπίδος μετὰ πραΰτητος καὶ φόβου,
16 Being conscious that you have done no wrong; so that those who say evil things about your good way of life as Christians may be put to shame.
16 συνείδησιν ἔχοντες ἀγαθήν, ἵνα ἐν ᾧ καταλαλοῦσιν ὑμῶν ὡς κακοποιῶν, καταισχυνθῶσιν οἱ ἐπηρεάζοντες ὑμῶν τὴν ἀγαθὴν ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστροφήν.
17 Because if it is God's purpose for you to undergo pain, it is better to do so for well-doing than for evil-doing.
17 κρεῖττον γὰρ ἀγαθοποιοῦντας, εἰ θέλοι τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, πάσχειν ἢ κακοποιοῦντας.
18 Because Christ once went through pain for sins, the upright one taking the place of sinners, so that through him we might come back to God; being put to death in the flesh, but given life in the Spirit;
18 ὅτι καὶ Χριστὸς ἅπαξ περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν ἔπαθε, δίκαιος ὑπὲρ ἀδίκων, ἵνα ἡμᾶς προσαγάγῃ τῷ Θεῷ, θανατωθεὶς μὲν σαρκί, ζωοποιηθεὶς δὲ πνεύματι·
19 By whom he went to the spirits in prison, preaching to those
19 ἐν ᾧ καὶ τοῖς ἐν φυλακῇ πνεύμασι πορευθεὶς ἐκήρυξεν,
20 Who, in the days of Noah, went against God's orders; but God in his mercy kept back the punishment, while Noah got ready the ark, in which a small number, that is to say eight persons, got salvation through water:
20 ἀπειθήσασί ποτε, ὅτε ἀπεξεδέχετο ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ μακροθυμία ἐν ἡμέραις Νῶε κατασκευαζομένης κιβωτοῦ, εἰς ἣν ὀλίγαι, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν ὀκτὼ ψυχαί, διεσώθησαν δι᾽ ὕδατος.
21 And baptism, of which this is an image, now gives you salvation, not by washing clean the flesh, but by making you free from the sense of sin before God, through the coming again of Jesus Christ from the dead;
21 ὃ ἀντίτυπον νῦν καὶ ἡμᾶς σῴζει βάπτισμα, οὐ σαρκὸς ἀπόθεσις ῥύπου, ἀλλὰ συνειδήσεως ἀγαθῆς ἐπερώτημα εἰς Θεόν, δι᾽ ἀναστάσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,
22 Who has gone into heaven, and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been put under his rule.
22 ὅς ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Θεοῦ πορευθεὶς εἰς οὐρανόν, ὑποταγέντων αὐτῷ ἀγγέλων καὶ ἐξουσιῶν καὶ δυνάμεων.
Cross references (22)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Colossians 3:18; Ephesians 5:33; Ephesians 5:22–24; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Titus 2:3–6
- 2 1 Peter 2:12; 1 Peter 1:15; Philippians 1:27; Ephesians 5:33; 2 Peter 3:11
- 3 1 Timothy 2:9–10; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 3:18–24; Titus 2:3–15; Isaiah 61:10
- 4 Colossians 3:12; 1 Samuel 16:7; Matthew 11:29; Romans 2:29; Titus 3:2
- 5 1 Timothy 5:5; Titus 2:3–4; Luke 8:2–3; Proverbs 31:30; 1 Timothy 2:15
- 6 Genesis 18:12; Romans 9:7–9; Daniel 3:16–18; Isaiah 57:11; Acts 4:19
- 7 Colossians 3:19; Genesis 2:23–24; Ephesians 5:25–28; Matthew 19:3–9; 1 Corinthians 7:3
- 8 Romans 12:10; Ephesians 4:31–5:2; 1 Peter 1:22; Philippians 4:8–9; James 3:17
- 9 Romans 12:17; Proverbs 20:22; Romans 12:14; Romans 12:19–21; 1 Thessalonians 5:15
- 10 Psalm 34:12–16; James 1:26; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 Peter 2:1; Revelation 14:5
- 11 Matthew 5:9; Hebrews 12:14; Psalm 34:14; Romans 14:19; Colossians 3:15
- 12 Psalm 34:15–16; John 9:31; Proverbs 15:29; Proverbs 15:3; 2 Chronicles 7:15
- 13 Proverbs 16:7; Romans 8:28; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; 3 John 11; Psalm 38:20
- 14 Matthew 10:28; 1 Peter 2:19–20; Matthew 5:10–12; Isaiah 41:10–14; Isaiah 8:12–13
- 15 Colossians 4:6; 2 Timothy 2:25–26; Luke 21:14–15; 1 Peter 3:2; Matthew 10:18–20
- 16 1 Peter 2:12; 1 Peter 2:15; Hebrews 13:18; Titus 2:8; Matthew 5:11
- 17 1 Peter 3:14; 1 Peter 4:19; Matthew 26:39; 1 Peter 2:15; 1 Peter 2:20
- 18 Hebrews 9:28; Hebrews 9:26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 4:6; Titus 2:14
- 19 1 Peter 4:6; Isaiah 61:1; Isaiah 42:7; Isaiah 49:9; Nehemiah 9:30
- 20 Hebrews 11:7; 2 Peter 2:5; Genesis 6:3; Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:18
- 21 Mark 16:16; Ezekiel 36:25–26; Galatians 3:27; Acts 22:16; Acts 2:38
- 22 Hebrews 9:24; Hebrews 12:2; Ephesians 1:20–21; Hebrews 10:12; Mark 16:19
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… from the dead will raise up us also, if we do His will, and walk in His commandments, and love what He loved, keeping ourselves from all unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money, evil speaking, false witness; "not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing," or blow for blow, or cursing for cursing, but being mindful of what the Lord …
The possessions of the hidden man of the heart, which in the sight of God are of great price? Did they lose these?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
For this cause then, though He said, "Take no thought what ye shall speak;" yet elsewhere He saith, "Be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you." That is, as long as the contest is among friends, He commands us also to take thought; but when there is …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… Henceforth ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and the rest: in accordance with which the Apostle Peter also writes, By the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
For baptism is "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God." So in training us for the life that follows on the resurrection the Lord sets out all the manner of life required by the Gospel, laying down for us the law of gentleness, of endurance of wrong, of …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)