1 Peter 1:2–23

²who 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