1 Peter 3:20

¹⁸ For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,

¹⁹ in whom He also went and preached to the spirits in prison

who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In the ark a few people, only eight souls, were saved through water.

²¹ And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

²² who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In the ark a few people, only eight souls, were saved through water.
KJV: Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
WEB: who before were disobedient when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
ASV: that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:
DARBY: heretofore disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in [the] days of Noah while the ark was preparing, into which few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:
BLB: at one time having disobeyed, when the longsuffering of God was waiting in the days of Noah, of the ark being prepared, in which a few—that is, eight souls—were saved through water,

ÅB: de som før i tiden hadde vært gjenstridige, dengang da Guds langmodighet ventet i Noahs dager, mens arken ble bygget, i hvilken noen få - åtte sjeler - ble frelst ved vann,
OTB: som var ulydige for lenge siden, da Gud ventet tålmodig i Noahs dager mens arken ble bygget. I den ble bare noen få mennesker, åtte i alt, frelst gjennom vann.
B1930: de som fordum hadde vært gjenstridige, dengang da Guds langmodighet ventet i Noahs dager, mens arken blev bygget, i hvilken nogen få - åtte sjeler - blev frelst ved vann,

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Read in context
2 Peter 2:5
if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;
Read in context
Genesis 6:3
So the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.”
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Genesis 6:5
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.
Read in context
Genesis 8:18
So Noah came out, along with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.
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Genesis 6:13–7:7
Then God said to Noah, “The end of all living creatures has come before Me, because through them the earth is full of violence. Now behold, I will destroy both them and the earth.
Read in context
Romans 2:4–5
Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
Read in context
Matthew 7:14
But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Read in context