A Heavenly Inheritance

3 hBlessed 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, 4 to an inheritance 2incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, lreserved in heaven for you, 5 mwho are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 nIn this you greatly rejoice, though now ofor a little while, if need be, pyou have been 3grieved by various trials, 7 that 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, 8 twhom having not 4seen you love. uThough now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching 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. 12 To 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

13 Therefore 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; 14 as obedient children, not xconforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 ybut as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, z“Be holy, for I am holy.”

17 And 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; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with 7corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but bwith the precious blood of Christ, cas of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 dHe indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was 8manifest ein these last times for you 21 who 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

22 Since 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, 23 jhaving been born again, not of 2corruptible seed but 3incorruptible, kthrough the word of God which lives and abides 4forever, 24 because

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,

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

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

2 Therefore, alaying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 bas newborn babes, desire the pure cmilk of the word, that you may grow 1thereby, 3 if indeed you have dtasted that the Lord is gracious.

The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People

4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, erejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

f“Behold, I lay in Zion

A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,

And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who 2are disobedient,

g“The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone,”

8 and

h“A stone of stumbling

And a rock of offense.”

iThey stumble, being disobedient to the word, jto which they also were appointed.

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of kdarkness into His marvelous light; 10 lwho once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.