He writes that through the abundant mercy of God, we are begotten again to a living hope, and how faith must be tried. How the salvation in Christ is nothing new, but a thing prophesied of old. He exhorts them to lead godly lives, since they are now born anew by the word of God.

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that dwell here and there as strangers throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and Asia, and Bithynia, ² elect by the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying of the Spirit, for obedience and for sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Grace be with you, and peace be multiplied.

³ Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who through his abundant mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death, ⁴ to enjoy an inheritance immortal and undefiled, and that does not perish, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Which salvation is prepared all ready to be shown in the last time – ⁶ in which time you will rejoice, though now for a season (if need require) you are in heaviness ⁷ through manifold trials, so that your faith, once tried, being much more precious than gold that perishes (though it be tried with fire), may be found to laud, glory, and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ – ⁸ whom you have not seen, and yet love him; in whom even now, though you see him not, yet you do believe, and rejoice with joy inexpressible and glorious, ⁹ receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

¹⁰ Of this salvation have the prophets enquired and searched, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, ¹¹ searching when or at what time the Spirit of Christ that was in them was signifying – which Spirit foretold the sufferings that would come to Christ and the glory that would follow after. ¹² To these prophets it was revealed that not to themselves, but to us, they would minister the things that are now shown to you by those who, by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven, have preached to you the things which the angels desire to behold.

¹³ Therefore gird up the loins of your minds, be sober, and trust fully on the grace that is brought to you by the declaring of Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ as obedient children – not fashioning yourselves to your old lusts of ignorance, ¹⁵ but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy, in all manner of conduct, ¹⁶ because it is written: Be holy, for I am holy.

¹⁷ And if it be so that you call on the Father, who without respect of person judges according to each one’s works, see that you pass the time of your pilgrimage in fear. ¹⁸ For you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible silver and gold from the vain ways that you received from the fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb undefiled and without spot. ²⁰ He was ordained before the world was made, but was shown in these last times for your sakes – ²¹ you who, by means of him, have believed on God, who raised him from death and glorified him so that your faith and hope may be in God.

²² And inasmuch as you have purified your souls through the Spirit, in the obedience of truth with brotherly love unfeigned, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently. ²³ For you are born anew, not of mortal seed, but of immortal: by the word of God, which lives and lasts forever.

²⁴ For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is as the flower of grass.  The grass withers, and the flower falls away, ²⁵ but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word which by the gospel was preached among you.