1 Peter 1

Greeting to the Elect Pilgrims

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To the ¹pilgrims ^aof the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ^2belect ^caccording to the foreknowledge of God the Father, ^din sanctification of the Spirit, for ^eobedience and ^fsprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:

^gGrace to you and peace be multiplied.

A Heavenly Inheritance

^3hBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who ⁱaccording to His abundant mercy ^jhas begotten us again to a living hope ^kthrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴to an inheritance ²incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, ^lreserved in heaven for you, ^5mwho are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

⁶ⁿIn this you greatly rejoice, though now ^ofor a little while, if need be, ^pyou have been ³grieved by various trials, ⁷that ^qthe genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though ^rit is tested by fire, ^smay be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, ^8twhom having not ⁴seen you love. ^uThough now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, ⁹receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

¹⁰Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, ¹¹searching what, or what manner of time, ^vthe Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. ¹²To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to ⁵us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which ^wangels desire to look into.

Living Before God Our Father

¹³Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; ¹⁴as obedient children, not ^xconforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; ^15ybut as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶because it is written, ^z“Be holy, for I am holy.”

¹⁷And if you call on the Father, who ^awithout partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your ⁶stay here in fear; ¹⁸knowing that you were not redeemed with ⁷corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹but ^bwith the precious blood of Christ, ^cas of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ^20dHe indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was ⁸manifest ^ein these last times for you ²¹who through Him believe in God, ^fwho raised Him from the dead and ^ggave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

The Enduring Word

²²Since you ^hhave purified your souls in obeying the truth ⁹through the Spirit in ¹sincere ⁱlove of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, ^23jhaving been born again, not of ²corruptible seed but ³incorruptible, ^kthrough the word of God which lives and abides ⁴forever, ²⁴because

^l“All flesh is as grass,

And all ⁵the glory of man as the flower of the grass.

The grass withers,

And its flower falls away,

^25mBut the ⁶word of the Lord endures forever.”

ⁿNow this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.