OF PETER I
[1] PETER, apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [2] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
[3] Blessed the God and Father of our :Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great :mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and unfading, reserved in the heavens for you, [5] who by God's power are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last season. [6] Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while if need be, put to grief in manifold trials,1 [7] that the proof of your :faith, more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ: [8] whom not seeing ye love; on whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and glorified: [9] receiving the end of the faith, salvation of souls. [10] Concerning which salvation prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that cometh unto you: [11] searching what time or what manner of season Christ's Spirit which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings unto Christ, and the glories after them. [12] To whom it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to you, did they minister the very things, which now have been announced to you through them that preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.
[13] Wherefore girding up the loins of your :mind, being sober perfectly2 set your hope on the grace that is being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; [14] as children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to your former :lusts in your :ignorance: [15] but like3 as he who called you is holy, be ye also holy in your whole behavior; [16] because it is written that, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy. [17] And if ye call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to each man's :work, pass the time of your :sojourning in fear: [18] knowing that ye were redeemed, not with corruptibles, with silver or gold, from your vain behavior handed down from your fathers; [19] but with precious blood, as of a lamb blameless and spotless, of Christ: [20] foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but manifested at the end of the times for your sake, [21] who through him believe in God, that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope be in God.
[22] Seeing ye have purified your :souls in :obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently:
[23] having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which4 liveth and abideth.
[24] Because,
All flesh is as grass,
And all glory thereof as the flower of grass.
The grass withereth,5 and the flower falleth:5
[25] But the word6 of the Lord abideth unto the age.
And this is the word6 of good tidings preached unto you.
[1] Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisy, and envies, and all evil speakings,
[2] as newborn babes, long for the spiritual1 guileless milk, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation;
[3] if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious:
[4] unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious,2
[5] ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, unto a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
[6] Because it is contained in a scripture,
Lo, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious:2
And who believeth on him3 shall not be shamed.
[7] For you therefore that believe is the honor: but for the disbelieving,
The stone which the builders rejected,
The same was made head of the corner;
[8] and,
A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence:
who stumble4 at the word, being disobedient; whereunto also they were appointed.
[9] But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous :light:
[10] who once were no people, but now are God's people: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
[11] Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; [12] having your :behavior seemly5 among the nations; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your :good works, which they behold, glorify :God in the day of visitation.
[13] Be subject to every ordinance6 of man for the Lord's sake: whether to king, as supreme; [14] or to governors, as sent through him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise on well-doers. [15] For so is the will of :God, that by well-doing ye silence the ignorance of foolish :men: [16] as free, and not using7 the freedom for a cloak of :wickedness,8 but as bondmen of God. [17] Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear :God. Honor9 the king.
[18] :Household servants, be in subjection to your :masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. [19] For this is acceptable,10 if for conscience toward11 God one endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully. [20] For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable10 with God. [21] For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his :steps: [22] who did no sin, neither was guile found in his :mouth: [23] who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed himself12 to him that judgeth righteously: [24] who himself bare13 our :sins in his :body upon the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose bruise ye were healed. [25] For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and overseer of your :souls.
[1] In like manner, wives, be in subjection to your own :husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they be gained without the word by the behavior of their wives; [2] beholding your chaste :behavior coupled with fear. [3] Whose adorning1 let it not be the outward one of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel; [4] but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible apparel of a quiet and gentle spirit, which is in the sight of :God of great price. [5] For thus aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being subject to their own husbands:2 [6] as Sarah obeyed :Abraham, calling him lord: whose children ye are become if ye do well, and are not put3 in fear by any terror.
[7] Ye :husbands, likewise, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, meting out honor unto the woman, as a weaker vessel,4 as being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; that your :prayers be not hindered.
[8] :Finally, be all likeminded, compassionate,5 loving as6 brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded:
[9] not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
[10] For,
Who would love life,
And see good days,
Let him refrain his :tongue from evil,
And his lips that they speak no guile:
[11]And let him turn away from evil, and do good;
Let him seek peace, and pursue it.
[12]For the Lord's eyes are upon the righteous,
And his ears unto their supplication:
But the Lord's face is upon those doing evil.
[13] And who is he that will harm you, if ye be zealots of what is good? [14] But even if ye should suffer for righteousness' sake, blessed ye: and fear not their :fear, neither be troubled; [15] but sanctify in your :hearts the Christ as Lord: always ready with an answer to every one that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear: [16] having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be shamed who revile your good behavior in Christ. [17] For it is better, if the will of God should so will, to suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing. [18] Because Christ also died for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he bring us to :God; put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; [19] in which also he went and preached to :spirits in prison, [20] that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of :God waited in Noah's days, while the ark was a preparing, into which few, that is, eight souls, were brought safely through water: [21] which also in the antitype doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of flesh, but the interrogation7 of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ; [22] who is on the right hand of God, gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being subjected to him.
[1] Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind;1 for who hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased unto sins; [2] to live the rest of the time no longer in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. [3] For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the nations, and to have walked in lasciviousnesses, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries: [4] wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess2 of :riot, speaking evil of you: [5] who shall give account to the one ready to judge the living and dead. [6] For to this end was the gospel preached also to the dead, that they might be judged indeed according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in spirit.
[7] But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayers: [8] above all being fervent in your :love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins: [9] hospitable one to another without murmuring: [10] according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; [11] if any speaketh—as it were oracles of God; if any ministereth—as of the strength which :God supplieth: that in all things :God be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion unto the ages of the ages. Amen.
[12] Beloved, think not strange the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though aught strange happened to you: [13] but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ's :sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his :glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy. [14] If ye are reproached in Christ's name, blessed ye; because the Spirit of :glory and :of :God resteth upon you. [15] For let none of you suffer as murderer, or thief, or evil-doer, or as meddler in other men's matters:3 [16] but if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify :God in this :name. [17] For the season is come for :judgment to begin at the house of :God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of :God? [18] And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where then shall the ungodly and sinner appear? [19] Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of :God commit their souls in well-doing to a faithful Creator.
[1] The elders therefore among you I exhort, the fellow-elder, and witness of the sufferings of the Christ, who am also partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: [2] Tend the flock of :God which is among you, not of constraint, but willingly; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of ready mind; [3] neither as lording it over those allotted you, but being ensamples to the flock. [4] And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the unfading crown of :glory. [5] Likewise,1 ye younger, be subject to elders. Yea, all gird yourselves with :humility, toward one another: for :God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.
[6] Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of :God, that he exalt you in season; [7] casting all your :anxiety upon him, because he careth for you. [8] Be sober, be watchful: your :adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking to devour:2 [9] whom withstand stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same :sufferings are being accomplished in your :brotherhood which is in the world. [10] And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal :glory in Christ, after ye have suffered a little, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you. [11] To him be the dominion unto the ages. Amen.
[12] By Silvanus, as I account him, the faithful brother to you3 I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of :God: stand therein.
[13] She in Babylon, elect together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Mark my :son.
[14] Salute one another with a kiss of love.
Peace to you all those in Christ.