Suffering for Righteousness' Sake

Finally, all of you, (A)have unity of mind, sympathy, (B)brotherly love, (C)a tender heart, and (D)a humble mind. (E)Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, (F)bless, for (G)to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10 For

(H)“Whoever desires to love life
    and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
    and his lips from speaking deceit;
11 let him turn away from evil and do good;
    let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

13 Now (I)who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 (J)But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. (K)Have no fear of them, (L)nor be troubled, 15 but (M)in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, (N)always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and (O)respect, 16 (P)having a good conscience, so that, (Q)when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For (R)it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

18 For Christ also (S)suffered[a] (T)once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, (U)that he might bring us to God, being put to death (V)in the flesh but made alive (W)in the spirit, 19 in which[b] he went and (X)proclaimed[c] to the spirits in prison, 20 because[d] they formerly did not obey, (Y)when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, (Z)while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, (AA)eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, (AB)now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but (AC)as an appeal to God for a good conscience, (AD)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and (AE)is at the right hand of God, (AF)with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 3:18 Some manuscripts died
  2. 1 Peter 3:19 Or the Spirit, in whom
  3. 1 Peter 3:19 Or preached
  4. 1 Peter 3:20 Or when

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