1 Peter
Chapter 1
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect exiles of the dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying of the Spirit for obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied to you.
3 Blessed {is} the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his great mercy, has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 for an imperishable and undefiled and unfading inheritance, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith, for a salvation {that is} ready to be revealed in the last times. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, if now it is necessary to have been distressed a little bit in various trials 7 so that the proof of your faith—{which is} more precious than gold that perishes, but, being tested by fire—it might be found to result in praise, and glory, and honor at the revealing of Jesus Christ, 8 whom, not having seen, you love, in whom, not seeing him now, but believing, you exult with inexpressible joy and are filled with glory, 9 receiving for yourselves the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 The prophets searched and inquired carefully about this salvation, who prophesied about this grace in you, 11 examining about whom or of what time the Spirit of Christ in them was revealing, testifying beforehand about the sufferings of Christ and the glory after that. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in those things which have now been declared to you by those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—into which things angels long to look.
13 Therefore, having girded up the loins of your mind, being fully sober, hope in the grace that is being brought to you in the revelation of Jesus Christ, 14 as obedient children, not being conformed to {your} former desires in your ignorance. 15 But as the one who called you {is} holy, you also become holy in all {your} behavior. 16 For it is written, “You will be holy, because I {am} holy.” 17 And if you call “Father” the one judging impartially according to the work of each one, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your journey, 18 knowing that you have been redeemed not with perishable silver or gold from your futile behavior handed down from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as an unblemished and spotless lamb, 20 having been foreknown before the foundation of the world, but he has been revealed in these last times for your sake, 21 those through him believing in God, who has raised him from the dead and has given him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 Having purified your souls by obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, [1] 23 having been born again, not from perishable seed, but from imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,
“All flesh {is} like grass,
and all its glory {is} like the flower of the grass.
The grass was dried up, and {its} flower fell off,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this is the word that has been proclaimed to you.
Chapter 2
1 Therefore, having put aside all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 as newborn babies, long for pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation, 3 if you have tasted that the Lord {is} kind, 4 coming to him, a living stone, having been rejected by men, but chosen by God, precious, 5 and you, like living stones, are being built up {as} a spiritual house, into a holy priesthood to offer the spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore, it stands in scripture:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a cornerstone,
chosen, precious.
And the one believing in him may certainly not be ashamed.”
7 Therefore, this honor {is} to you who believe. But to the unfaithful,
“The stone that was rejected by the builders,
this has become the head of the corner”—
8 and,
“A stone of stumbling
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble, disobeying the word—to which also they were appointed. 9 But you {are} a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that you might proclaim the wonderful actions of the one who called you from darkness into his marvelous light, 10 who once
{were} not a people, but now
the people of God; the ones who
had not received mercy, but now
you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I exhort you as foreigners and exiles to abstain from fleshly desires, which make war against {your} soul, 12 keeping your behavior among the Gentiles good, so that, in whatever they speak about you as evildoers, from observing {your} good works, they might glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Be subjected to every human authority for the sake of the Lord, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as through him having been sent, to punish evildoers and to praise doers of good. 15 For this is the will of God— doing good to silence the ignorant talk of foolish people, 16 and as free people, not having {your} freedom as a covering for wickedness, but as servants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
18 House slaves, be subject to {your} masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the perverse. 19 For this {is} praiseworthy if anyone endures sorrow while suffering injustice because of conscience {toward} God. 20 For what kind of credit {is there} if, sinning and being tormented, you will endure? But if doing good and suffering, you will endure, this {finds} favor with God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered on your behalf, leaving an example for you so that you might follow in his footsteps;
22 “who committed no sin,
neither was deceit found in his mouth;”
23 who being reviled, did not revile back; suffering, he did not threaten, but he committed himself to the one who judges justly; 24 who himself carried our sins in his body to the tree, so that having been separated from {our} sins, we might live for righteousness, of whose wounds you were healed. 25 For you as sheep are being led astray, but now you have been returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.
Chapter 3
1 In the same way, wives, being subjected to your own husbands, so that even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won without a word, through the behavior of {their} wives, 2 having seen your pure behavior with respect; 3 whose adornment, let be not with the outward braiding of {their} hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or wearing fine clothing, 4 but the inner man of the heart, in the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious before God. 5 For in this manner also holy women who hope in God formerly adorned themselves, being subject to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children you have become, doing what is good and not being afraid of any terror.
7 Husbands, in the same way, living with {your} wife according to understanding, as with a weaker container, assigning her honor as also fellow heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
8 Now finally, all of you, be likeminded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, humble; 9 not paying back evil in exchange for evil or insult in exchange for insult, but on the contrary, blessing, because to this you were called, so that you might inherit a blessing.
10 For, “Let the one desiring to love life and to see good days
stop {his} tongue from evil and {his} lips from speaking deceit.
11 But let him turn away from evil and let him do good.
Let him seek peace and pursue it, 12 for
the eyes of the Lord {are} upon the righteous, and his ears {are} upon their requests.
But the face of the Lord {is} against those doing evil.”
13 And who {is} the one who will harm you if you become a zealot of what is good? 14 But even if you suffer because of righteousness, {you are} blessed. But, do not fear their fear, nor be troubled. 15 Instead, sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, always ready with an answer for everyone who asks you the reason for the hope in you, 16 but with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, so that when you are being slandered, those who are insulting your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For {it is} better doing good, if desiring the will of God, to suffer, than doing evil. 18 For Christ also died once for sins—the righteous on behalf of the unrighteous—so that he might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but having been made alive in the spirit, 19 in which also he preached, having gone to the spirits in prison, 20 having disobeyed formerly, when the patience of God was waiting in the days of Noah, while an ark is being constructed, in which a few—that is, eight souls—were saved through water. 21 And the antitype, baptism, now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but the appeal of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels, and authorities, and powers had been subjected to him.
Chapter 4
1 Therefore, Christ having suffered in the flesh, also arm yourselves with the same intention, for the one who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 in that for the rest of {his} time in the flesh, he no longer lives for the desires of men, but for the will of God. 3 For enough time has passed doing the will of the Gentiles, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, carousing, drunken parties, and in lawless idolatry, 4 in which, being surprised that you are not running with them in the same outpouring of {their} reckless behavior, insulting you; 5 they will give an account to the one who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For because of this the gospel was preached also to the dead, so as a result, they might be judged in the flesh according to men, but they might live in the spirit according to God.
7 Now the end of all things has come near. Therefore be of sound mind, and be sober for prayers; 8 above all, having fervent love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins; 9 hospitable to one another without complaining; 10 Just as each one has received a gift, ministering it to yourselves, as good stewards of the diverse grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks—as with words of God; if anyone serves—as from the strength that God supplies, so that in all God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever {and} ever. Amen.
12 Beloved, do not regard as strange the fiery trial among you that is happening for a testing to you, as something strange happening to you, 13 but, however much you experience the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, so that also, at the revealing of his glory, you may rejoice, being full of joy. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, {you are} blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 So, do not let any of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or as a meddler, 16 but if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this name. 17 For {it is} the time to begin the judgment with the household of God; but if first with us, what {will be} the end of those disobeying the gospel of God?
18 And “If with difficulty the righteous are being saved,
where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
19 So then, also let those suffering according to the will of God entrust their souls to the faithful Creator in well-doing.
Chapter 5
1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, {as your} fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who also {is} a partaker of the glory that is about to be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight—not under compulsion, but willingly, according to God—not greedily, but eagerly; 3 and not as lording it over those who are assigned to you, but be examples of the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd has been revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 In the same way, you younger men, submit to elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that he may exalt you in due time, 7 having cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, is walking around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that your brotherhood that {is} in the world is enduring the same sufferings. 10 But the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, having suffered for a little while, will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, {and} establish you. 11 To him {be} the dominion forever. Amen.
12 Through Silvanus, the faithful brother, as I regard him, I wrote to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand in it. 13 She {who is} in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you, as well as Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace to you all who {are} in Christ.