1 Peter 1

Greeting

1Peter, ^aan apostle of Jesus Christ:

To the temporary residents ^bdispersed ^cdin Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ^echosen ^f2according to the foreknowledge ^gof God the Father and set apart by the Spirit ^hfor obedience ⁱand for sprinkling with the blood ^jof Jesus Christ.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

A Living Hope

³Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^kAccording to His great mercy, ^lHe has given us a new birth ^minto a living hope ⁿthrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead ^o4and into an inheritance that is imperishable, ^puncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven ^qfor you. ⁵You are being protected by God’s power ^rthrough faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ^s6You rejoice in this, ^tthough now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials ^u7so that the genuineness of your faith ^v—more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire ^w—may result ^xin ^ypraise, glory, and honor ^zat the revelation of Jesus Christ. ^a8You love Him, ^bthough you have not seen ^cHim. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice ^dwith inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹because you are receiving the goal of your ^efaith, the salvation of your souls. ^f

¹⁰Concerning this salvation, the prophets ^gwho prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. ¹¹They inquired into what time or what circumstances ^hthe Spirit of Christ ⁱwithin them was indicating when He testified in advance ^jto the messianic sufferings ^kland the glories ^mthat would follow. ⁿ¹²It 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 ^oby the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. ^pAngels desire to look into these things.

A Call to Holy Living

¹³Therefore, with your minds ready for action, ^qrbe serious ^sand set your hope ^tcompletely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation ^uof Jesus Christ. ¹⁴As obedient children, ^vdo not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. ¹⁵But as the One who called you ^wis holy, ^xyou also are to be holy in all your conduct; ¹⁶for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy. ^yz

¹⁷And if you address as Father the One who judges impartially ^abased on each one’s work, ^byou are to conduct yourselves in fear ^cduring the time of your temporary residence. ¹⁸For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life ^dinherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, ^e19but with the precious blood of Christ, ^flike that of a lamb ^gwithout defect or blemish. ²⁰He was chosen ^hibefore the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the times ^jfor you ²¹who through Him are believers in God, ^kwho raised Him from the dead ^land gave Him glory, ^mso that your faith and hope are in God.

²²By obedience to the truth, ⁿhaving purified yourselves ^ofor sincere love of the brothers, love one another ^pearnestly ^qfrom a pure ^rheart, ^s23since you have been born again ^t—not of perishable seed ^ubut of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God. ^v24For

All flesh is like grass,

and all its glory ^wlike a flower of the grass.

The grass withers, and the flower falls,

²⁵but the word of the Lord endures forever. ^xy

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