In like manner, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; so that, even if any do not obey the Word, they may be won by the behaviour of their wives without a word; 2seeing your pure behaviour in fear. 3Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing; 4but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God1 very precious. 5For this is how the holy women before, who hoped in God, also adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands: 6as Sarah obeyed Ibrahim, calling him lord, whose children you now are, if you do right, and are not put in fear by any threat.
7You husbands, in like manner, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honour to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as being also joint heirs of the grace of life; that your prayers may not be hindered.
8Finally, be all like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous, 9not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but instead blessing; knowing that to this you were called, that you may inherit a blessing. 10For,
“Whoever loves life, and desires to see good days, must keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking lies. 11Let him turn away from evil, and do good. Let him seek peace, and pursue it. 12The eyes of the LORD2 are on the righteous. His ears listen to their prayer. The LORD’s face is against those who do evil.” 3
13Now who is he who will harm you, if you become imitators of that which is good? 14But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed.
Do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread of it. 15But sanctify the LORD God 4 in your hearts, 5
and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear: 16having a good conscience; that, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good manner of life in AL-MASIH6. 17For it is better, if God should so will, that you suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
18Because AL-MASIH also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19in which he also went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20who before were disobedient, when God waited patiently in the days of Nuh7, while the ark was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God—through the resurrection of ‘ISA8 AL-MASIH, 22who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.
- 3:4 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
- 3:12 LORD, the use of all capital letters means that the original Hebrew text quoted here uses God’s Name, YAHWEH, which God-fearing Jews to this day do not say out of respect. YAHWEH is the Name God revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.” ↩︎
- 3:10-12 Quoting the Zabur 34:12-16 which says: “Whoever loves life, and desires to see good days, keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking lies. Turn away from evil, and do good. Seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of YAHWEH are on the righteous. His ears listen to their prayer. YAHWEH’s face is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.” ↩︎
- 3:15 LORD God (kurion…theon), or LORD AL-MASIH (kurion…christon) in other texts. ↩︎
- 3:14-15 Quoting the Taurat, Shaya 8:12-13 which says: “Don’t say, ‘A conspiracy!’ concerning all of which this people shall say, ‘A conspiracy!’ Do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread of it. But sanctify YAHWEH All-Powerful; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. ↩︎
- 3:16 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean the Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them point ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH. Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
- 3:20 Nuh, or Noah. ↩︎
- 3:21 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎