| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live, | 1In a similar way, you wives must submit yourselves to your husbands so that, even if some of them refuse to obey the word, they may be won over without a word through your conduct as wives |
| 2when they see your pure and reverent conduct. | 2when they see your pure and reverent lives. |
| 3Let your beauty not be external--the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes-- | 3Your beauty should not be an external one, consisting of braided hair or the wearing of gold ornaments and dresses. |
| 4but the inner person of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God's sight. | 4Instead, it should be the inner disposition of the heart, consisting in the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which God values greatly. |
| 5For in the same way the holy women who hoped in God long ago adorned themselves by being subject to their husbands, | 5After all, this is how holy women who set their hope on God used to make themselves beautiful in the past. They submitted themselves to their husbands, |
| 6like Sarah who obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You become her children when you do what is good and have no fear in doing so. | 6just as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You have become her daughters by doing good and by not letting anything terrify you. |
| 7Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as the weaker partners and show them honor as fellow heirs of the grace of life. In this way nothing will hinder your prayers. | 7In a similar way, you husbands must live with your wives in an understanding manner, as with a most delicate partner. Honor them as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing may interfere with your prayers. |
| 8Finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, affectionate, compassionate, and humble. | 8Finally, all of you must live in harmony, be sympathetic, love as brothers, and be compassionate and humble. |
| 9Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless others because you were called to inherit a blessing. | 9Do not pay others back evil for evil or insult for insult. Instead, keep blessing them, because you were called to inherit a blessing. |
| 10For the one who wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from uttering deceit. | 10"For the person who wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. |
| 11And he must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. | 11He must turn away from evil and do good. He must seek peace and pursue it. |
| 12For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the Lord's face is against those who do evil. | 12For the Lord watches the righteous, and he pays attention to their prayers. But the Lord opposes those who do wrong." |
| 13For who is going to harm you if you are devoted to what is good? | 13Who will harm you if you are devoted to doing what is good? |
| 14But in fact, if you happen to suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. But do not be terrified of them or be shaken. | 14But even if you should suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. "Never be afraid of their threats, and never get upset. |
| 15But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess. | 15Instead, exalt the Messiah" as Lord in your lives. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you to explain the hope you have. |
| 16Yet do it with courtesy and respect, keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you. | 16But do this gently and respectfully, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak evil of your good conduct in the Messiah will be ashamed of slandering you. |
| 17For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it, than for doing evil. | 17After all, if it is the will of God, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong. |
| 18Because Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring you to God, by being put to death in the flesh but by being made alive in the spirit. | 18For the Messiah also suffered for sins once for all, an innocent person for the guilty, so that he could bring you to God. He was put to death in a mortal body but was brought to life by the Spirit, |
| 19In it he went and preached to the spirits in prison, | 19in which he went and made a proclamation to those imprisoned spirits |
| 20after they were disobedient long ago when God patiently waited in the days of Noah as an ark was being constructed. In the ark a few, that is eight souls, were delivered through water. | 20who disobeyed long ago in the days of Noah, when God waited patiently while the ark was being built. In it a few, that is, eight persons, were saved by water. |
| 21And this prefigured baptism, which now saves you--not the washing off of physical dirt but the pledge of a good conscience to God--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, | 21Baptism, which is symbolized by that water, now saves you also, not by removing dirt from the body, but by asking God for a clear conscience based on the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah, |
| 22who went into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels and authorities and powers subject to him. | 22who has gone to heaven and is at the right hand of God, where angels, authorities, and powers have been made subject to him. |
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