1 Peter 1
New Testament for Everyone
Genuine faith and sure hope
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus the Messiah, to God’s chosen ones who live as foreigners among the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been set aside in advance by God the father, through the sanctification of the spirit, for obedience and for sprinkling with the blood of Jesus the Messiah. May grace and peace be poured out lavishly on you!
3 May God be blessed, God the father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah! His mercy is abundant, and so he has become our father in a second birth into a living hope through the resurrection from the dead of Jesus the Messiah. 4 This has brought us into an incorruptible inheritance, which nothing can stain or diminish. At the moment it is kept safe for you in the heavens, 5 while you are being kept safe by God’s power, through faith, for a rescue that is all ready and waiting to be revealed in the final time.
6 That is why you celebrate! Yes, it may well be necessary that, for a while, you may have to suffer trials and tests of all sorts. 7 But this is so that the true value of your faith may be discovered. It is worth more than gold, which is tested by fire even though it can be destroyed. The result will be praise, glory and honor when Jesus the Messiah is revealed. 8 You love him, even though you’ve never seen him. And even though you don’t see him, you believe in him, and celebrate with a glorified joy that goes beyond anything words can say, 9 since you are receiving the proper goal of your faith, namely, the rescue of your lives.
Ransomed by grace
10 The prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be given to you searched and inquired about this rescue. 11 They asked what sort of time it would be, the time that the Messiah’s spirit within them was indicating when speaking of the Messiah’s sufferings and subsequent glory. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they were ministering these things—things which have now been announced to you by the holy spirit who was sent from heaven, through those who preached the good news to you. The angels long to gaze on these things!
13 So fasten your belts—the belts of your minds! Keep yourselves under control. Set your hope completely on the grace that will be given you when Jesus the Messiah is revealed. 14 As children of obedience, don’t be squashed into the shape of the passions you used to indulge when you were still in ignorance. 15 Rather, just as the one who called you is holy, so be holy yourselves, in every aspect of behavior. 16 It is written, you see, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 17 If you call on God as “Father”—the God, that is, who judges everyone impartially according to their work—behave with holy fear throughout the time in which you are resident here.
18 You know, after all, that you were ransomed from the futile practices inherited from your ancestors, and that this ransom came not through perishable things like gold or silver, 19 but through the precious blood of the Messiah, like a lamb without spot or blemish. 20 He was destined for this from before the foundation of the world, and appeared at the end of the times for your sake, 21 for you (that is) who through him believe in the God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Newborn babies
22 Once your lives have been purified by obeying the truth, resulting in a sincere love for all your fellow believers, love one another eagerly, from a pure heart. 23 You have been born again, not from seed which decays but from seed which does not—through the living and abiding word of God. 24 Because, you see—
All flesh is like grass
and all its glory is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, and the flower falls
25 but the word of the Lord lasts forever.
That is the word that was announced to you.
1 Peter 1
King James Version
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
1 Peter 1
English Standard Version
Greeting
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of (A)the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to (B)the foreknowledge of God the Father, (C)in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and (D)for sprinkling with his blood:
May (E)grace and (F)peace be multiplied to you.
Born Again to a Living Hope
3 (G)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! (H)According to his great mercy, (I)he has caused us to be born again to a living hope (J)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to (K)an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and (L)unfading, (M)kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded (N)through faith for a salvation (O)ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by (P)various trials, 7 so that (Q)the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes (R)though it is tested by (S)fire—may be found to result in (T)praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 (U)Though you have not seen him, you love him. (V)Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining (W)the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, (X)the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring (Y)what person or time[a] (Z)the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating (AA)when he predicted (AB)the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 (AC)It was revealed to them that (AD)they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you (AE)by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, (AF)things into which angels long to look.
Called to Be Holy
13 Therefore, (AG)preparing your minds for action,[b] and (AH)being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, (AI)do not be conformed to the passions (AJ)of your former ignorance, 15 but (AK)as he who called you is holy, you also be holy (AL)in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, (AM)“You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you (AN)call on him as Father who (AO)judges (AP)impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves (AQ)with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you (AR)were ransomed from (AS)the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but (AT)with the precious blood of Christ, like that of (AU)a lamb (AV)without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but (AW)was made manifest (AX)in the last times for the sake of you 21 (AY)who through him are believers in God, (AZ)who raised him from the dead and (BA)gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for (BB)a sincere brotherly love, (BC)love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 (BD)since you have been born again, (BE)not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through (BF)the living and abiding word of God; 24 for
(BG)“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25 (BH)but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word (BI)is the good news that was preached to you.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 1:11 Or what time or circumstances
- 1 Peter 1:13 Greek girding up the loins of your mind
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
