1 Peter 1–2

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,^a

To God’s elect,^b exiles^c scattered^d throughout the provinces of Pontus,^e Galatia,^f Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,^{g 2}who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge^h of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,ⁱ to be obedient^j to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:^k

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.^l

Praise to God for a Living Hope

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!^m In his great mercyⁿ he has given us new birth^o into a living hope^p through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,^{q 4}and into an inheritance^r 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 power^u until the coming of the salvation^v that is ready to be revealed^w in the last time. ⁶In all this you greatly rejoice,^x though now for a little while^y you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.^{z 7}These have come so that the proven genuineness^a of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire^b—may result in praise, glory and honor^c 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 him^e and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.^f

¹⁰Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke^g 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 Christ^j in them was pointing when he predicted^k the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. ¹²It 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 you^m by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.ⁿ Even angels long to look into these things.

Be Holy

¹³Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,^o set your hope^p on the grace to be brought to you^q when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.^{r 14}As obedient^s children, do not conform^t 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.”^aw

¹⁷Since you call on a Father^x who judges each person’s work^y impartially,^z live out your time as foreigners^a here in reverent fear.^{b 18}For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed^c from the empty way of life^d handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹but with the precious blood^e of Christ, a lamb^f 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. ²¹Through him you believe in God,^j who raised him from the dead^k and glorified him,^l and so your faith and hope^m are in God.

²²Now that you have purifiedⁿ yourselves by obeying^o 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,

²⁵but the word of the Lord endures forever.”^ct

And this is the word that was preached to you.

2Therefore, rid yourselves^u of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander^v of every kind. ²Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,^w so that by it you may grow up^x in your salvation, ³now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.^y

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴As you come to him, the living Stone^z—rejected by humans but chosen by God^a and precious to him—⁵you also, like living stones, are being built^b into a spiritual house^ac to be a holy priesthood,^d offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.^{e 6}For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a chosen and precious cornerstone,^f

and the one who trusts in him

will never be put to shame.”^bg

⁷Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,^h

“The stone the builders rejectedⁱ

has become the cornerstone,”^cj

⁸and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall.”^dk

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.^l

⁹But you are a chosen people,^m a royal priesthood,ⁿ a holy nation,^o God’s special possession,^p that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.^{q 10}Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;^r once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹Dear friends,^s I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,^t to abstain from sinful desires,^u which wage war against your soul.^{v 12}Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds^w and glorify God^x on the day he visits us.

¹³Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:^y whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong^z and to commend those who do right.^{a 15}For it is God’s will^b that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.^{c 16}Live as free people,^d but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;^e live as God’s slaves.^{f 17}Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers,^g fear God, honor the emperor.^h

¹⁸Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters,ⁱ not only to those who are good and considerate,^j but also to those who are harsh. ¹⁹For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.^{k 20}But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.^{l 21}To this^m you were called,ⁿ because Christ suffered for you,^o leaving you an example,^p that you should follow in his steps.

²²“He committed no sin,^q

and no deceit was found in his mouth.”^er

²³When they hurled their insults at him,^s he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.^t Instead, he entrusted himself^u to him who judges justly.^{v 24}“He himself bore our sins”^w in his body on the cross,^x so that we might die to sins^y and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”^{z 25}For “you were like sheep going astray,”^fa but now you have returned to the Shepherd^b and Overseer of your souls.^c