1 Peter 2:13-3:6
International Standard Version
13 For the Lord’s sake submit yourselves to every human authority: whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorant talk[a] of foolish people. 16 Live like free people, and do not use your freedom as an excuse for doing evil. Instead, be God’s servants. 17 Honor everyone. Keep on loving the community of believers,[b] fearing God, and honoring the king.
Suffer Patiently
18 You household servants must submit yourselves to your masters out of respect, not only to those who are kind and fair, but also to those who are unjust. 19 For it is a fine thing if, when moved by your conscience to please God, you suffer patiently when wronged. 20 What good does it do if, when you sin, you patiently receive punishment for it? But if you suffer for doing good and receive it patiently, you have God’s approval. 21 This is, in fact, what you were called to do, because:
The Messiah[c] also suffered for you
and left an example for you
to follow in his steps.
22 “He never sinned,
and he never told a lie.”[d]
23 When he was insulted,
he did not retaliate.
When he suffered,
he did not threaten.
It was his habit
to commit the matter to the one who judges fairly.
24 “He himself bore our sins”[e] in his body on the tree,
so that we might die to those sins
and live righteously.
“By his wounds
you have been healed.”[f]
25 You were “like sheep that kept going astray,”[g]
but now you have returned to the shepherd
and overseer of your souls.
Wives and Husbands
3 In 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 2 when they see your pure and reverent lives.
3 Your beauty should not be an external one, consisting of braided hair or the wearing of gold ornaments and dresses. 4 Instead, it should be the inner disposition of the heart, consisting in the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which God values greatly.[h] 5 After 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, 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You have become her daughters by doing good and by not letting anything terrify you.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 2:15 Lit. the ignorance
- 1 Peter 2:17 Lit. the brotherhood
- 1 Peter 2:21 Or Christ
- 1 Peter 2:22 Lit. and no deceit was found in his mouth; cf. Isa 53:9
- 1 Peter 2:24 Cf. Isa 53:4,12
- 1 Peter 2:24 Cf. Isa 53:5
- 1 Peter 2:25 Cf. Isa 53:6
- 1 Peter 3:4 Lit. which is of great value before God
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