1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,a

To God’s elect,b exilesc scatteredd throughout the provinces of Pontus,e Galatia,f Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,g 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledgeh of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,i to be obedientj to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:k

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.l

Praise to God for a Living Hope

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!m In his great mercyn he has given us new birtho into a living hopep through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,q 4 and into an inheritancer that can never perish, spoil or fade.s This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,t 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s poweru until the coming of the salvationv that is ready to be revealedw in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice,x though now for a little whiley you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.z 7 These have come so that the proven genuinenessa of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fireb—may result in praise, glory and honorc when Jesus Christ is revealed.d 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in hime and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.f

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spokeg of the grace that was to come to you,h searched intently and with the greatest care,i 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christj in them was pointing when he predictedk the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,l when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to youm by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.n Even angels long to look into these things.

Be Holy

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,o set your hopep on the grace to be brought to youq when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.r 14 As obedients children, do not conformt to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.u 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;v 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”a w

17 Since you call on a Fatherx who judges each person’s worky impartially,z live out your time as foreignersa here in reverent fear.b 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemedc from the empty way of lifed handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious bloode of Christ, a lambf without blemish or defect.g 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world,h but was revealed in these last timesi for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God,j who raised him from the deadk and glorified him,l and so your faith and hopem are in God.

22 Now that you have purifiedn yourselves by obeyingo the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,p from the heart.b 23 For you have been born again,q not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,r through the living and enduring word of God.s 24 For,

“All people are like grass,

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;

the grass withers and the flowers fall,

25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”c t

And this is the word that was preached to you.