1 Peter

First Peter

Chapter 1

1 Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ, to the sojourners of the dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by sanctification of the Spirit, unto the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his great mercy, has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead, 4  to an incorruptible and undefiled and unfading inheritance, reserved in the heavens for you, 5  who are kept guarded by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6  Wherein ye exult, for a little while at present, if needed, put to grief by various trials, 7  that the proving of your faith, much more precious than of gold which perishes, though it be proved by fire, be found to praise and glory and honour in the revelation of Jesus Christ: 8  whom, having not seen, ye love; on whom though not now looking, but believing, ye exult with joy unspeakable and filled with the glory, 9  receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10  Concerning which salvation prophets, who have prophesied of the grace towards you, sought out and searched out; 11  searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them pointed out, testifying before of the sufferings which belonged to Christ, and the glories after these. 12  To whom it was revealed, that not to themselves but to you they ministered those things, which have now been announced to you by those who have declared to you the glad tidings by the Holy Spirit, sent from heaven, which angels desire to look into.

13  Wherefore, having girded up the loins of your mind, be sober and hope with perfect stedfastness in the grace which will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14  as children of obedience, not conformed to your former lusts in your ignorance; 15  but as he who has called you is holy, be ye also holy in all your conversation; 16  because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. 17  And if ye invoke as Father him who, without regard of persons, judges according to the work of each, pass your time of sojourn in fear, 18  knowing that ye have been redeemed, not by corruptible things, as silver or gold, from your vain conversation handed down from your fathers, 19  but by precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, the blood of Christ, 20  foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but who has been manifested at the end of times for your sakes, 21  who by him do believe on God, who has raised him from among the dead and given him glory, that your faith and hope should be in God. 22  Having purified your souls by obedience to the truth to unfeigned brotherly love, love one another out of a pure heart fervently; 23  being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the living and abiding word of God.

24  Because all flesh is as grass, and all its glory as the flower of grass. The grass has withered and its flower has fallen; 25  but the word of the Lord abides for eternity. But this is the word which in the glad tidings is preached to you.

Chapter 2

1  Laying aside therefore all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envyings and all evil speakings, 2  as newborn babes desire earnestly the pure mental milk of the word, that by it ye may grow up to salvation, 3  if indeed ye have tasted that the Lord is good.

4  To whom coming, a living stone, cast away indeed as worthless by men, but with God chosen, precious, 5  yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6  Because it is contained in the scripture: Behold, I lay in Zion a corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believes on him shall not be put to shame. 7  To you therefore who believe is the preciousness; but to the disobedient, the stone which the builders cast away as worthless, this is become head of the corner, 8  and a stone of stumbling and rock of offence; who stumble at the word, being disobedient to which also they have been appointed. 9  But ye are a chosen race, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a possession, that ye might set forth the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness to his wonderful light; 10  who once were not a people, but now God’s people; who were not enjoying mercy, but now have found mercy. 11  Beloved, I exhort you, as strangers and sojourners, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12  having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that as to that in which they speak against you as evildoers, they may through your good works, themselves witnessing them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

13  Be in subjection therefore to every human institution for the Lord’s sake; whether to the king as supreme, 14  or to rulers as sent by him, for vengeance on evildoers, and praise to them that do well. 15  Because so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye put to silence the ignorance of senseless men; 16  as free, and not as having liberty as a cloak of malice, but as God’s bondmen. 17  Shew honour to all, love the brotherhood, fear God, honour the king. 18  Servants, be subject with all fear to your masters, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the ill-tempered. 19  For this is acceptable, if one, for conscience sake towards God, endure griefs, suffering unjustly. 20  For what glory is it, if sinning and being buffeted ye shall bear it? but if, doing good and suffering, ye shall bear it, this is acceptable with God. 21  For to this have ye been called; for Christ also has suffered for you, leaving you a model that ye should follow in his steps: 22  who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; 23  who, when reviled, reviled not again; when suffering, threatened not; but gave himself over into the hands of him who judges righteously; 24  who himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, in order that, being dead to sins, we may live to righteousness: by whose stripes ye have been healed. 25  For ye were going astray as sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

Chapter 3

1  Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, that, even if any are disobedient to the word, they may be gained without the word by the conversation of the wives, 2  having witnessed your pure conversation carried out in fear; 3  whose adorning let it not be that outward one of tressing of hair, and wearing gold, or putting on apparel; 4  but the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price. 5  For thus also the holy women who have hoped in God heretofore adorned themselves, being subject to their own husbands; 6  as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose children ye have become, doing good, and not fearing with any kind of consternation. 7  Ye husbands likewise, dwell with them according to knowledge, as with a weaker, even the female, vessel, giving them honour, as also fellow-heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.

8  Finally, be all of one mind, sympathising, full of brotherly love, tender hearted, humble minded; 9  not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing; but on the contrary, blessing others, because ye have been called to this, that ye should inherit blessing. 10  For he that will love life and see good days, let him cause his tongue to cease from evil and his lips that they speak no guile. 11  And let him avoid evil, and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it; 12  because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears towards their supplications; but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 13  And who shall injure you if ye have become imitators of that which is good? 14  But if also ye should suffer for righteousness’ sake, blessed are ye; but be not afraid of their fear, neither be troubled; 15  but sanctify the Lord the Christ in your hearts, and be always prepared to give an answer to every one that asks you to give an account of the hope that is in you, but with meekness and fear;

16  having a good conscience, that as to that in which they speak against you as evildoers, they may be ashamed who calumniate your good conversation in Christ. 17  For it is better, if the will of God should will it, to suffer as well-doers than as evildoers;

18  for Christ indeed has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in flesh, but made alive in the Spirit, 19  in which also going he preached to the spirits which are in prison, 20  heretofore disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was preparing, into which few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:

21  which figure also now saves you, even baptism, not a putting away of the filth of flesh, but the demand as before God of a good conscience, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22  who is at the right hand of God, gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being subjected to him.

Chapter 4

1  Christ, then, having suffered for us in the flesh, do ye also arm yourselves with the same mind; for he that has suffered in the flesh has done with sin, 2  no longer to live the rest of his time in the flesh to men’s lusts, but to God’s will. 3  For the time past is sufficient for us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, walking in lasciviousness, lusts, wine-drinking, revels, drinkings, and unhallowed idolatries.

4  Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same sink of corruption, speaking injuriously of you; 5  who shall render account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6  For to this end were the glad …