Greeting

Peter,(A) an apostle of Jesus Christ:

To the temporary residents(B) dispersed[a](C) in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,(D) chosen(E) according to the foreknowledge(F) of God the Father and set apart by the Spirit(G) for obedience(H) and for sprinkling with the blood(I) of Jesus Christ.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

A Living Hope

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.(J) According to His great mercy,(K) He has given us a new birth(L) into a living hope(M) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead(N) and into an inheritance that is imperishable,(O) uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven(P) for you. You are being protected by God’s power(Q) through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.(R) You rejoice in this,[b] though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials(S) so that the genuineness of your faith(T)—more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire(U)—may result(V) in[c] praise, glory, and honor(W) at the revelation of Jesus Christ.(X) You love Him,(Y) though you have not seen(Z) Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice(AA) with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your[d] faith, the salvation of your souls.[e]

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets(AB) who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. 11 They inquired into what time or what circumstances[f] the Spirit of Christ(AC) within them was indicating when He testified in advance(AD) to the messianic sufferings[g](AE) and the glories(AF) that would follow.[h] 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you(AG) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.(AH) Angels desire to look into these things.

A Call to Holy Living

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action,[i](AI) be serious(AJ) and set your hope(AK) completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation(AL) of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children,(AM) do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 But as the One who called you(AN) is holy,(AO) you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.(AP)[j]

17 And if you address as Father the One who judges impartially(AQ) based on each one’s work,(AR) you are to conduct yourselves in fear(AS) during the time of your temporary residence. 18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life(AT) inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold,(AU) 19 but with the precious blood of Christ,(AV) like that of a lamb(AW) without defect or blemish. 20 He was chosen[k](AX) before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the times(AY) for you 21 who through Him are believers in God,(AZ) who raised Him from the dead(BA) and gave Him glory,(BB) so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 By obedience to the truth,[l] having purified yourselves[m] for sincere love of the brothers, love one another(BC) earnestly[n] from a pure[o] heart,(BD) 23 since you have been born again(BE)—not of perishable seed(BF) but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.(BG) 24 For

All flesh is like grass,
and all its glory(BH) like a flower of the grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.(BI)[p]

And this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 1:1 Jewish people scattered throughout Gentile lands who spoke Gk and were influenced by Gk culture.
  2. 1 Peter 1:6 Or In this [fact] rejoice
  3. 1 Peter 1:7 Lit may be found for
  4. 1 Peter 1:9 Other mss read our, or they omit the possessive pronoun
  5. 1 Peter 1:9 Or your lives
  6. 1 Peter 1:11 Or inquired about the person or time
  7. 1 Peter 1:11 Or the sufferings of Christ
  8. 1 Peter 1:11 Lit the glories after that
  9. 1 Peter 1:13 Lit Therefore, when you have the loins of your mind girded
  10. 1 Peter 1:16 Lv 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7
  11. 1 Peter 1:20 Or foreknown
  12. 1 Peter 1:22 Other mss add through the Spirit
  13. 1 Peter 1:22 Or purified your souls
  14. 1 Peter 1:22 Or intensely
  15. 1 Peter 1:22 Other mss omit pure
  16. 1 Peter 1:25 Is 40:6-8

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,(A)

To God’s elect,(B) exiles(C) scattered(D) throughout the provinces of Pontus,(E) Galatia,(F) Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,(G) who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge(H) of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,(I) to be obedient(J) to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:(K)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.(L)

Praise to God for a Living Hope

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!(M) In his great mercy(N) he has given us new birth(O) into a living hope(P) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,(Q) and into an inheritance(R) that can never perish, spoil or fade.(S) This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,(T) who through faith are shielded by God’s power(U) until the coming of the salvation(V) that is ready to be revealed(W) in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice,(X) though now for a little while(Y) you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.(Z) These have come so that the proven genuineness(AA) of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire(AB)—may result in praise, glory and honor(AC) when Jesus Christ is revealed.(AD) Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him(AE) and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.(AF)

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke(AG) of the grace that was to come to you,(AH) searched intently and with the greatest care,(AI) 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ(AJ) in them was pointing when he predicted(AK) the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,(AL) when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you(AM) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.(AN) Even angels long to look into these things.

Be Holy

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,(AO) set your hope(AP) on the grace to be brought to you(AQ) when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.(AR) 14 As obedient(AS) children, do not conform(AT) to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.(AU) 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;(AV) 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”[a](AW)

17 Since you call on a Father(AX) who judges each person’s work(AY) impartially,(AZ) live out your time as foreigners(BA) here in reverent fear.(BB) 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed(BC) from the empty way of life(BD) handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood(BE) of Christ, a lamb(BF) without blemish or defect.(BG) 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world,(BH) but was revealed in these last times(BI) for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God,(BJ) who raised him from the dead(BK) and glorified him,(BL) and so your faith and hope(BM) are in God.

22 Now that you have purified(BN) yourselves by obeying(BO) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,(BP) from the heart.[b] 23 For you have been born again,(BQ) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,(BR) through the living and enduring word of God.(BS) 24 For,

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25     but the word of the Lord endures forever.”[c](BT)

And this is the word that was preached to you.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 1:16 Lev. 11:44,45; 19:2
  2. 1 Peter 1:22 Some early manuscripts from a pure heart
  3. 1 Peter 1:25 Isaiah 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.