1 ¶ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the sojourners aof the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,
2 belect caccording to the foreknowledge of God the Father din sanctification of the Spirit, to eobedience and fsprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: gGrace to you and peace be multiplied.
3 ¶ hBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who iaccording to His abundant mercy jhas begotten us again to a living hope kthrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance imperishable and undefiled, and that does not fade away, lreserved in heaven for you,
5 mwho are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 ¶ nIn this you greatly rejoice, though now ofor a little while, if need be, pyou have been distressed by many trials,
7 so that qthe proof of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though rit is refined with fire, smight be found to praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
8 tThough you have not seen Him, you love Him. uThough now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 ¶ Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
11 searching what, or what manner of time vthe Spirit of Christ who was in them did signify, when He testified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that would follow.
12 To them it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to you they ministered the things that are now reported to you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven, which things wangels desire to look into.
13 ¶ Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind. Be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 As obedient children, do not xfashion yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance.
15 But yas He who has called you is holy, so you be holy in all manner of behavior,
16 because it is written, z“You will be holy, for I am holy.”
17 ¶ Now if you call on the Father, who awithout respect of persons judges according to each one’s work, pass the time of your journey on earth in fear;
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold from your vain behavior received by tradition from your fathers,
19 but bwith the precious blood of Christ, cas of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
20 dHe indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest ein these last times for you
21 who through Him are believing in God, fwho raised Him from the dead and ggave Him glory so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 ¶ Seeing you hhave purified your souls in obeying the truth in sincere love of the brethren, ilove one another fervently with a pure heart,
23 jhaving been born again, not by perishable seed, but imperishable, kby the word of God that lives and abides.
24 For, l“All flesh is as grass and all its glory as the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower falls away.
25 mBut the word of the Lord endures forever.” And nthis is the word by which the gospel was preached to you.
Chapter 1 References:
a Js 1:1; b Ep 1:4; c Rm 8:29; d 2 Th 2:13; e Rm 1:5; f Hb 10:22; 12:24; g Rm 1:7;
h Ep 1:3; i Gl 6:16; j Jn 3:3,5; k 1 Co 15:20; l Cl 1:5; m Jn 10:28; n Mt 5:12;
o 2 Co 4:17; p Js 1:2; q Js 1:3; r Jb 23:10; s Rm 2:7; t 1 Jn 4:20; u Jn 20:29;
v 2 Pt 1:21; w Ep 3:10; x Rm 12:2; y 2 Co 7:1; z Lv 11:44,45; 19:2; 20:7;
a At 10:34; b At 20:28; c Ex 12:5; Is 53:7; d Rm 3:25; e Gl 4:4; f At 2:24;
g At 2:33; h At 15:9; i Hb 13:1; j Jn 1:13; k Js 1:18; l Is 40:6-8;
m Is 40:8; n Jn 1:1
1 ¶ Therefore, alaying aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings,
2 bas newborn babes, desire the sincere cmilk of the word so that you may grow up to salvation,
3 if you have dtasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 ¶ And coming to Him as to a living stone—erejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious—
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 Therefore, it is also contained in the Scripture, f“Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect and precious. And he who believes on Him will not be disappointed.”
7 ¶ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious. But to those who do not believe, g“The stone that the builders rejected, the same has become the cornerstone,”
8 and h“a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” For ithey stumble, being disobedient to the word. And jto this they were appointed.
9 ¶ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a special people, so that you may proclaim the praises of Him who has called you out of kdarkness into His marvelous light.
10 lYou in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 ¶ Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts mthat war against the soul.
12 nKeep your behavior honest among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, othey may, because of your good works that they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 ¶ pSubmit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether it is to the king, as supreme,
14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by Him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do well.
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing right you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.
16 qLive as free men, and rdo not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but as the bondservants of God.
17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. sFear God. Honor the king.
18 ¶ tBondservants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
19 For this is ucommendable, if for the sake of conscience toward God, one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For vwhat credit is it, if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But if when you do right and suffer, you take it patiently, this is commendable with God.
21 For wto this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, xleaving you an example that you should follow His steps.
22 “He ydid no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.”
23 zWhen He was reviled, He did not revile again. When He suffered, He did not threaten, but acommitted Himself to Him who judges righteously.
24 bHe Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, cso that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; dby whose wounds you were healed.
25 For eyou were as sheep going astray, but now you have returned fto the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Chapter 2 References:
a Hb 12:1; b Mt 18:3; 19:14; c 1 Co 3:2; d Hb 6:5; e Ps 118:22;
f Is 28:16; g Ps 118:22; h Is 8:14; i 1 Co 1:23; j Rm 9:22; k At 26:18;
l Hs 1:9,10; 2:23; m Js 4:1; n Ph 2:15; o Mt 5:16; 9:8; p Mt 22:21;
q Rm 6:14,20,22; r Gl 5:13; s Pv 24:21; t Ep 6:5-8; u Mt 5:10;
v Lk 6:32-34; w Mt 16:24; x 1 Jn 2:6; y Is 53:9; z Is 53:7;
a Lk 23:46; b Hb 9:28; c Rm 7:6; d Is 53:5; e Is 53:5,6;
f Is 40:11; Ez 34:23; Zc 13:7
1 ¶ Likewise, wives, be asubmissive to your own husbands, so that if any do not obey the word, bthey, without the word, may cbe won by the behavior of the wives,
2 dwhen they observe your pure behavior combined with fear.
3 eYour adornment should not be outward, as plaiting the hair and wearing of gold, or putting on of clothes.
4 But let it be fthe hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a meek and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
5 For after this manner in the former times, the holy women who trusted in God, also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands,
6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, gcalling him lord, whose children you are if you do right and are not afraid with any terror.
7 ¶ Likewise, hhusbands, dwell with your wives with understanding, giving honor to the wife ias to the weaker vessel, and as heirs together of the grace of life, so jthat your prayers not be hindered.
8 ¶ Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion one for another. Love as brethren, be kindhearted, humble.
9 kDo not render evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead lblessing, knowing that you were called to this, so mthat you might inherit a blessing.
10 For n“He who would love life and see good days, olet him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no deceit.
11 Let him pturn away from evil and do good. qLet him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, rand His ears are open to their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
13 ¶ And swho is he who will harm you if you follow what is good?
14 But teven if you suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. And udo not be afraid of their intimidation, and do not be troubled.
15 But sanctify Christ as Lord God in your hearts and vbe ready always to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear;
16 xhaving a good conscience so that when they slander you as evildoers, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be ashamed.
17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing right than for doing evil.
18 ¶ For Christ also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit,
19 in which also He went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,
20 who once were disobedient when the longsuffering of God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, in which few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
21 yThe like figure whereunto even baptism does also now save us—znot the putting away of the filth of the flesh, abut the appeal of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22 who has gone into heaven and bis at the right hand of God, cangels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.
Chapter 3 References:
a Ep 5:22; b 1 Co 7:16; c Mt 18:15; d 1 Pt 2:12; 3:6; e 1 Tm 2:9; f Rm 2:29;
g Gn 18:12; h Ep 5:25; i 1 Co 12:23; j Jb 42:8; k Pv 17:13; l Mt 5:44;
m Mt 25:34; n Ps 34:12-16; o Js 1:26; p Ps 37:27; q Rm 12:18;
r Jn 9:31; s Pv 16:7; t Js 1:12; u Is 8:12; v Ps 119:46; w Ti 3:7;
x Hb 13:18; y Ep 5:26; z Ti 3:5; a Rm 10:10; b Ps 110:1; c Rm 8:38
1 ¶ Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
2 so that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, abut for the will of God.
3 For the time already past is sufficient in doing the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
4 In this they think it strange that you do not run with them to the same excesses of riot, speaking evil of you.
5 They will give account to Him who is ready bto judge the living and the dead.
6 For this reason cthe gospel was preached also to those who are dead, so that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but dlive according to God in the spirit.
7 ¶ But ethe end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be sober and watch unto prayer.
8 And above all things have fervent love among yourselves, for flove will cover a multitude of sins.
9 gBe hospitable one to another hwithout grumbling.
10 iAs each one has received a gift, minister it to one another jas good stewards of kthe manifold grace of God.
11 lIf anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability that God gives, so mthat in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
12 ¶ Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial that is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.
13 But rejoice, ninasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, that owhen His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, pblessed are you, for the spirit of glory and of God rests on you. [On their part He is blasphemed, qbut on your part He is glorified.]
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s affairs.
16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this name.
17 ¶ For the time has come rfor judgment to begin at the house of God. And if it first begins with us, swhat will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
18 And tif the righteous are scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19 Therefore, let those who suffer according to the will of God uentrust their souls to Him in doing right, as to a faithful Creator.
Chapter 4 References:
a Jn 1:13; b At 10:42; c 1 Pt 1:12; 3:19; d Rm 8:9,13; e Rm 13:11; f Pv 10:12;
g Hb 13:2; h 2 Co 9:7; i Rm 12:6-8; j 1 Co 4:1,2; k 1 Co 12:4;
l Ep 4:29; m 1 Co 10:31; n Js 1:2; o 2 Tm 2:12; p Mt 5:11;
q Mt 5:16; r Is 10:12; s Lk 10:12; t Pv 11:31; u 2 Tm 1:12
1 ¶ Therefore, I exhort the elders who are among you, as a fellow elder and a awitness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the bglory that will be revealed.
2 cShepherd the flock of God that is among you, serving as overseers, dnot under compulsion, but voluntarily according to God; enot greedy for money, but with eagerness;
3 nor as fbeing lords over gthose entrusted to you, but hbeing examples to the flock.
4 Now when ithe Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive ja crown of glory that does not fade away.
5 ¶ Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves to the elders. Yes, kall of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility, for lGod resists the proud and mgives grace to the humble.
6 Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that He may exalt you at the proper time,
7 casting all your care on Him, for He cares for you.
8 ¶ Be sober. Be vigilant. Your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 But resist him, standing firm in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are experienced by your brethren who are in the world.
10 But the God of all grace, nwho has called us to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a while, will Himself perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
11 oTo Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
12 ¶ Through pSilvanus, our faithful brother to you as I also consider him, I have written briefly, exhorting and testifying qthat this is the true grace of God in which you stand.
13 ¶ She who is in Babylon, elected together with you, greets you, and so does rMark my son.
14 ¶ Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ. Amen.
Chapter 5 References:
a Mt 26:37; b Rm 8:17,18; c At 20:28; d 1 Co 9:17; e 1 Tm 3:3;
f Ez 34:4; g Ps 33:12; h Ph 3:17; i Hb 13:20; j 2 Tm 4:8;
k Ep 5:21; l Pv 3:34; m Is 57:15; n 1 Co 1:9; o Rv 1:16;
p 2 Co 1:19; q At 20:24; r At 12:12,25; 15:37,39