1 Peter 4 - 2 Peter 2

English Standard Version

Stewards of God's Grace

4 Since therefore ^(A)Christ suffered in the flesh,^{[a] (B)}arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for ^(C)whoever has suffered in the flesh ^(D)has ceased from sin, ^2 (E)so as to live for ^(F)the rest of the time in the flesh ^(G)no longer for human passions but ^(H)for the will of God. ³ For the time that is past ^(I)suffices ^(J)for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. ⁴ With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of ^(K)debauchery, and ^(L)they malign you; ⁵ but they will give account to him who is ready ^(M)to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this is why ^(N)the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

^7 (O)The end of all things is at hand; therefore ^(P)be self-controlled and sober-minded ^(Q)for the sake of your prayers. ⁸ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since ^(R)love covers a multitude of sins. ^9 (S)Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. ^10 (T)As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, ^(U)as good stewards of God's varied grace: ¹¹ whoever speaks, as one who speaks ^(V)oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves ^(W)by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything ^(X)God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. ^(Y)To him belong glory and ^(Z)dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Suffering as a Christian

¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at ^(AA)the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice ^(AB)insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad ^(AC)when his glory is revealed. ^14 (AD)If you are insulted ^(AE)for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory^[b] and of God rests upon you. ¹⁵ But ^(AF)let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or ^(AG)as a meddler. ¹⁶ Yet ^(AH)if anyone suffers as a ^(AI)Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God ^(AJ)in that name. ¹⁷ For it is time for judgment ^(AK)to begin at the household of God; and ^(AL)if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who ^(AM)do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ And

¹⁹ Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will ^(AO)entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Shepherd the Flock of God

5 So I exhort the elders among you, ^(AP)as a fellow elder and ^(AQ)a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: ^2 (AR)shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,^{[d] (AS)}not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;^{[e] (AT)}not for shameful gain, but eagerly; ³ not ^(AU)domineering over those in your charge, but ^(AV)being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when ^(AW)the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the ^(AX)unfading ^(AY)crown of glory. ⁵ Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. ^(AZ)Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ^(BA)“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

^6 (BB)Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ^7 (BC)casting all your anxieties on him, because ^(BD)he cares for you. ^8 (BE)Be sober-minded; ^(BF)be watchful. Your ^(BG)adversary the devil ^(BH)prowls around ^(BI)like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ^9 (BJ)Resist him, ^(BK)firm in your faith, knowing that ^(BL)the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. ¹⁰ And ^(BM)after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, ^(BN)who has called you to his ^(BO)eternal glory in Christ, will himself ^(BP)restore, ^(BQ)confirm, strengthen, and establish you. ^11 (BR)To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

¹² By ^(BS)Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, ^(BT)I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is ^(BU)the true grace of God. ^(BV)Stand firm in it. ¹³ She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does ^(BW)Mark, my son. ^14 (BX)Greet one another with the kiss of love.

^(BY)Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Greeting

1 Simeon^[f] Peter, a servant^[g] and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained ^(BZ)a faith of equal standing with ours ^(CA)by the righteousness of our ^(CB)God and Savior Jesus Christ:

^2 (CC)May grace and peace be multiplied to you ^(CD)in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Confirm Your Calling and Election

³ His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him ^(CE)who called us to^[h] his own glory and excellence,^{[i] 4} by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become ^(CF)partakers of the divine nature, ^(CG)having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. ⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith ^(CH)with virtue,^[j] and virtue ^(CI)with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control ^(CJ)with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness ^(CK)with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection ^(CL)with love. ⁸ For if these qualities^[k] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or ^(CM)unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he ^(CN)is blind, having forgotten that he was ^(CO)cleansed from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers,^[l] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and ^(CP)election, for if you practice these qualities ^(CQ)you will never fall. ¹¹ For in this way there will be richly provided for you ^(CR)an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

¹² Therefore I intend ^(CS)always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in ^(CT)the truth that you have. ¹³ I think it right, as long as I am in this ^(CU)body,^{[m] (CV)}to stir you up by way of reminder, ^14 (CW)since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, ^(CX)as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. ¹⁵ And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

Christ's Glory and the Prophetic Word

¹⁶ For we did not follow ^(CY)cleverly devised ^(CZ)myths when we made known to you ^(DA)the power and ^(DB)coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but ^(DC)we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ^(DD)“This is my beloved Son,^[n] with whom I am well pleased,” ¹⁸ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on ^(DE)the holy mountain. ¹⁹ And ^(DF)we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention ^(DG)as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until ^(DH)the day ^(DI)dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, ²⁰ knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. ²¹ For ^(DJ)no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God ^(DK)as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

False Prophets and Teachers

2 But ^(DL)false prophets also arose among the people, ^(DM)just as there will be false teachers among you, who will ^(DN)secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master ^(DO)who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. ² And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth ^(DP)will be blasphemed. ³ And ^(DQ)in their greed they will exploit you ^(DR)with false words. ^(DS)Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

⁴ For if God did not spare ^(DT)angels when they sinned, but ^(DU)cast them into hell^[o] and committed them to chains^[p] of gloomy darkness ^(DV)to be kept until the judgment; ⁵ if he did not spare the ancient world, but ^(DW)preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought ^(DX)a flood upon the world of the ungodly; ⁶ if by ^(DY)turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, ^(DZ)making them an example of ^(EA)what is going to happen to the ungodly;^{[q] 7} and ^(EB)if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked ⁸ (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, ^(EC)he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); ⁹ then ^(ED)the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials,^[r] and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, ¹⁰ and especially ^(EE)those who indulge^[s] in the lust of defiling passion and ^(EF)despise authority.

Bold and willful, they do not tremble ^(EG)as they blaspheme the glorious ones, ^11 (EH)whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. ^12 (EI)But these, like irrational animals, ^(EJ)creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, ¹³ suffering wrong as ^(EK)the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure ^(EL)to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions,^[t] while ^(EM)they feast with you. ¹⁴ They have eyes full of adultery,^{[u] (EN)}insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts ^(EO)trained in greed. ^(EP)Accursed children! ¹⁵ Forsaking the right way, ^(EQ)they have gone astray. They have followed ^(ER)the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved ^(ES)gain from wrongdoing, ¹⁶ but was rebuked for his own transgression; ^(ET)a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.

^17 (EU)These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. ^(EV)For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. ¹⁸ For, ^(EW)speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely ^(EX)escaping from those who live in error. ¹⁹ They promise them ^(EY)freedom, ^(EZ)but they themselves are slaves^[v] of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. ²⁰ For if, ^(FA)after they have escaped the defilements of the world ^(FB)through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, ^(FC)the last state has become worse for them than the first. ²¹ For ^(FD)it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from ^(FE)the holy commandment delivered to them. ²² What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The ^(FF)dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”