The Daily Audio Bible

Beloved, Keep Your Conduct Praiseworthy In The World So That God May Be Glorified

¹¹ Beloved, I exhort you as foreigners^[a] and pilgrims to be abstaining from fleshly desires which wage-war against the soul, ¹² holding your conduct good^[b] among the Gentiles in order that in what they are speaking-against you as evil-doers^[c], they may by observing your good works glorify God on the day of visitation^[d].

Be Subject To Human Institutions For The Lord’s Sake

¹³ Be subject to every human institution for the Lord’s sake— whether to a king as being superior, ¹⁴ or to governors as being sent by him^[e] for the punishment of evil-doers and praise of good-doers. ¹⁵ Because thus is the will of God, that while doing-good you may be silencing the ignorance of foolish people.

Honor Everyone

¹⁶ As^[f] free ones, and not having the freedom as a covering of evilness, but as slaves of God, ¹⁷ honor everyone: be loving the brotherhood^[g], be fearing God, be honoring the king;

Be Subject To Your Masters, Whether Good Or Bad, Following Christ’s Example

¹⁸ ... servants, being subject to your masters with all fear^[h], not only to the good and kind ones, but also to the crooked^[i] ones. ¹⁹ For this finds favor— if for the sake of a consciousness^[j] of God one bears-up^[k] while suffering sorrows unjustly. ²⁰ For what-kind-of credit^[l] is it if while sinning and being beaten, you will endure? But if while doing-good and suffering you will endure, this finds favor with God. ²¹ For you were called to this^[m]. Because Christ also suffered for you, leaving-behind a pattern for you in order that you might follow-after His footsteps—

Christ Suffered Unjustly, Entrusting Himself To God

²² ... Who “did not commit sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth” [Isa 53:9]; ²³ Who while being reviled, was not reviling-in-return; while suffering, was not threatening, but was committing Himself ^[n] to the One judging righteously; ²⁴ Who Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross in order that we, having died^[o] to sins, might live for righteousness; by Whose bruise you were healed. ²⁵ For you were going-astray like sheep, but now you returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Be Subject To Your Husbands, Adorning Yourself With Things Precious To God

3 Likewise wives, being subject to your own husbands, in order that even if any are disobeying the word, they may be gained without a word by the conduct of their wives, ² having observed your pure conduct with fear^[p]— ³ of whom let what is observed ^[q] be not the outside adornment consisting of a braiding of hair and a wearing of gold things or putting-on of garments, ⁴ but the hidden person of the heart in^[r] the imperishable adorning consisting of the gentle and quiet spirit, which is very-precious in the sight of God. ⁵ For in this manner formerly also the holy wives putting-hope in God were adorning themselves, being subject to their own husbands, ⁶ as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord^[s]— of whom^[t] you became children while^[u] doing-good and not fearing any terror^[v].

Honor Your Wives As Fellow Heirs of The Gift of Life

⁷ Husbands likewise, living-with them^[w] according-to^[x] knowledge^[y], showing honor to the feminine^[z] one as to^[aa] the weaker vessel^[ab], as indeed to your fellow-heirs of the grace^[ac] of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.