As obedient children, stop molding your character by the evil desires you used to cherish when you did not know any better,

since your regeneration is not owing to any corruptible principles, but to the unchangeable word of the immortal God.

Free yourselves, therefore, from all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of any kind,

which is without any mixture, and will make you thrive. Since you have tasted how good the Lord is,

if you have had any experience of the goodness of the Lord.

Submit for the Lord's sake to any human authority; submit to the emperor as supreme,

for this is gracious, if because of conscience toward God any one doth endure sorrows, suffering unrighteously;

who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

If any man long after life, and loveth to see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips, that they speak not guile:

Who will do you any damage if you keep your minds fixed on what is good?

but in your hearts consecrate Christ as Lord, being always ready to make your defence to any one who asks from you a reason for the hope which you cherish.

for since it is the will of heaven you should suffer, it is better you should suffer for your virtue, than for any crimes.

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or a thief, or any sort of criminal [in response to persecution], or as a troublesome meddler interfering in the affairs of others;

Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

to exhort you to feed the flock of God, which is among you: to take care of it, voluntarily, without reluctance, not from any view to sordid gain, but out of real affection;