Concluding Exhortations

13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.^{(A) 2} Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers,^(B) for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.^{(C) 3} Continue to remember those in prison^(D) as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

⁴ Marriage should be honored by all,^(E) and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.^{(F) 5} Keep your lives free from the love of money^(G) and be content with what you have,^(H) because God has said,

⁶ So we say with confidence,

⁷ Remember your leaders,^(K) who spoke the word of God^(L) to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate^(M) their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.^(N)

⁹ Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.^(O) It is good for our hearts to be strengthened^(P) by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods,^(Q) which is of no benefit to those who do so.^{(R) 10} We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle^(S) have no right to eat.^(T)

¹¹ The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering,^(U) but the bodies are burned outside the camp.^{(V) 12} And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate^(W) to make the people holy^(X) through his own blood.^{(Y) 13} Let us, then, go to him^(Z) outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.^{(AA) 14} For here we do not have an enduring city,^(AB) but we are looking for the city that is to come.^(AC)

¹⁵ Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice^(AD) of praise—the fruit of lips^(AE) that openly profess his name. ¹⁶ And do not forget to do good and to share with others,^(AF) for with such sacrifices^(AG) God is pleased.

¹⁷ Have confidence in your leaders^(AH) and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you^(AI) as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

¹⁸ Pray for us.^(AJ) We are sure that we have a clear conscience^(AK) and desire to live honorably in every way. ¹⁹ I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.^(AL)

Benediction and Final Greetings

²⁰ Now may the God of peace,^(AM) who through the blood of the eternal covenant^(AN) brought back from the dead^(AO) our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,^{(AP) 21} equip you with everything good for doing his will,^(AQ) and may he work in us^(AR) what is pleasing to him,^(AS) through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.^(AT)

²² Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.^(AU)

²³ I want you to know that our brother Timothy^(AV) has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.

²⁴ Greet all your leaders^(AW) and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy^(AX) send you their greetings.

²⁵ Grace be with you all.^(AY)

1 Peter, 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

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!^(M) In his great mercy^(N) 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. ⁶ In 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^(AA) of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire^(AB)—may result in praise, glory and honor^(AC) when Jesus Christ is revealed.^{(AD) 8} Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him^(AE) 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.^(AF)

¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke^(AG) of the grace that was to come to you,^(AH) searched intently and with the greatest care,^{(AI) 11} trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ^(AJ) in them was pointing when he predicted^(AK) 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,^(AL) when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you^(AM) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.^(AN) Even angels long to look into these things.

Be Holy

¹³ Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,^(AO) set your hope^(AP) on the grace to be brought to you^(AQ) when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.^{(AR) 14} As obedient^(AS) children, do not conform^(AT) to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.^{(AU) 15} But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;^{(AV) 16} for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”^[a](AW)

¹⁷ Since you call on a Father^(AX) who judges each person’s work^(AY) impartially,^(AZ) live out your time as foreigners^(BA) here in reverent fear.^{(BB) 18} For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed^(BC) from the empty way of life^(BD) handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood^(BE) of Christ, a lamb^(BF) without blemish or defect.^{(BG) 20} He was chosen before the creation of the world,^(BH) but was revealed in these last times^(BI) for your sake. ²¹ Through him you believe in God,^(BJ) who raised him from the dead^(BK) and glorified him,^(BL) and so your faith and hope^(BM) are in God.

²² Now that you have purified^(BN) yourselves by obeying^(BO) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,^(BP) from the heart.^{[b] 23} For you have been born again,^(BQ) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,^(BR) through the living and enduring word of God.^{(BS) 24} For,

And this is the word that was preached to you.

2 Therefore, rid yourselves^(BU) of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander^(BV) of every kind. ² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,^(BW) so that by it you may grow up^(BX) in your salvation, ³ now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.^(BY)

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone^(BZ)—rejected by humans but chosen by God^(CA) and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built^(CB) into a spiritual house^[d](CC) to be a holy priesthood,^(CD) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.^{(CE) 6} For in Scripture it says:

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

⁸ and,

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

⁹ But you are a chosen people,^(CM) a royal priesthood,^(CN) a holy nation,^(CO) God’s special possession,^(CP) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.^{(CQ) 10} Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;^(CR) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹ Dear friends,^(CS) I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,^(CT) to abstain from sinful desires,^(CU) which wage war against your soul.^{(CV) 12} Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds^(CW) and glorify God^(CX) on the day he visits us.

¹³ Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:^(CY) whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴ or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong^(CZ) and to commend those who do right.^{(DA) 15} For it is God’s will^(DB) that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.^{(DC) 16} Live as free people,^(DD) but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;^(DE) live as God’s slaves.^{(DF) 17} Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers,^(DG) fear God, honor the emperor.^(DH)

¹⁸ Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters,^(DI) not only to those who are good and considerate,^(DJ) but also to those who are harsh. ¹⁹ For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.^{(DK) 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.^{(DL) 21} To this^(DM) you were called,^(DN) because Christ suffered for you,^(DO) leaving you an example,^(DP) that you should follow in his steps.

²³ When they hurled their insults at him,^(DS) he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.^(DT) Instead, he entrusted himself^(DU) to him who judges justly.^{(DV) 24} “He himself bore our sins”^(DW) in his body on the cross,^(DX) so that we might die to sins^(DY) and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”^{(DZ) 25} For “you were like sheep going astray,”^[i](EA) but now you have returned to the Shepherd^(EB) and Overseer of your souls.^(EC)