Salutation

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To the exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ² who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood:

May grace and peace be yours in abundance.^(A)

A Living Hope

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead^{(B) 4} and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.^{(C) 6} In this you rejoice,^[a] even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials,^{(D) 7} so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.^{(E) 8} Although you have not seen^[b] him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,^{(F) 9} for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.^[c]

¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace intended for you made careful search and inquiry,^{(G) 11} inquiring about the time and circumstances^[d] that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings intended for Christ and the subsequent glory.^{(H) 12} It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look!^(I)

A Call to Holy Living

¹³ Therefore prepare your minds for action;^[e] discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed.^{(J) 14} Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. ¹⁵ Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct,^{(K) 16} for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”^(L)

¹⁷ If you invoke as Father the one who judges impartially according to each person’s work, live in fear during the time of your exile.^{(M) 18} You know that you were ransomed from the futile conduct inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.^{(N) 20} He was destined before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake.^{(O) 21} Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your trust and hope are in God.

²² Now that you have purified your souls^[f] by your obedience to the truth^[g] so that you have genuine mutual affection, love one another deeply from the heart.^{[h](P) 23} You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.^{[i](Q) 24} For

That word is the good news that was announced to you.^(S)

Salutation

1 Simeon^[a] Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have received a faith as equally honorable as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

² May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

The Christian’s Call and Election

³ His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by^[b] his own glory and excellence.^{(A) 4} Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust and may become participants of the divine nature.^{(B) 5} For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with excellence, and excellence with knowledge,^{(C) 6} and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(D) 9} For anyone who lacks these things is blind, suffering from eye disease, forgetful of the cleansing of past sins.^{(E) 10} Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. ¹¹ For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

¹² Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you.^{(F) 13} I think it right, as long as I am in this body,^[c] to refresh your memory,^{(G) 14} since I know that my death^[d] will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.^{(H) 15} And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

Eyewitnesses of Christ’s Glory

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.^{(I) 17} For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved,^[e] with whom I am well pleased.”^{(J) 18} We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.^(K)

¹⁹ So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.^{(L) 20} First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s^[f] own interpretation, ²¹ because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.^[g](M)