1 Peter 1 - 2 Peter 3

New King James Version

Greeting to the Elect Pilgrims

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To the ^[a]pilgrims ^(A)of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ^2 (B)elect ^(C)according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, ^(D)in sanctification of the Spirit, for ^(E)obedience and ^(F)sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:

^(G)Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

A Heavenly Inheritance

^3 (H)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who ^(I)according to His abundant mercy ^(J)has begotten us again to a living hope ^(K)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance ^[b]incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, ^(L)reserved in heaven for you, ^5 (M)who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

^6 (N)In this you greatly rejoice, though now ^(O)for a little while, if need be, ^(P)you have been ^[c]grieved by various trials, ⁷ that ^(Q)the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though ^(R)it is tested by fire, ^(S)may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, ^8 (T)whom having not ^[d]seen you love. ^(U)Though 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, ^(V)the 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 ^[e]us 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 ^(W)angels 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 ^(X)conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; ^15 (Y)but 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 ^(AA)without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your ^[f]stay here in fear; ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with ^[g]corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but ^(AB)with the precious blood of Christ, ^(AC)as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ^20 (AD)He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was ^[h]manifest ^(AE)in these last times for you ²¹ who through Him believe in God, ^(AF)who raised Him from the dead and ^(AG)gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

The Enduring Word

²² Since you ^(AH)have purified your souls in obeying the truth ^[i]through the Spirit in ^[j]sincere ^(AI)love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, ^23 (AJ)having been born again, not of ^[k]corruptible seed but ^[l]incorruptible, ^(AK)through the word of God which lives and abides ^[m]forever, ²⁴ because

^(AN)Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

Our Inheritance Through Christ’s Blood

2 Therefore, ^(AO)laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ^2 (AP)as newborn babes, desire the pure ^(AQ)milk of the word, that you may grow ^[p]thereby, ³ if indeed you have ^(AR)tasted that the Lord is gracious.

The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People^(AS)

⁴ Coming to Him as to a living stone, ^(AT)rejected 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,

⁷ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who ^[q]are disobedient,

⁸ and

^(AX)They stumble, being disobedient to the word, ^(AY)to 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 ^(AZ)darkness into His marvelous light; ^10 (BA)who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Living Before the World

¹¹ Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts ^(BB)which war against the soul, ^12 (BC)having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, ^(BD)they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Submission to Government^(BE)

^13 (BF)Therefore submit yourselves to every ^[r]ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— ^16 (BG)as free, yet not ^(BH)using liberty as a cloak for ^[s]vice, but as bondservants of God. ¹⁷ Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear ^(BI)God. Honor the king.

Submission to Masters^(BJ)

^18 (BK)Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. ¹⁹ For this is ^(BL)commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. ²⁰ For ^(BM)what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. ²¹ For ^(BN)to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for ^[t]us, ^(BO)leaving ^[u]us an example, that you should follow His steps:

^23 (BQ)who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but ^(BR)committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ^24 (BS)who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, ^(BT)that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—^(BU)by whose ^[v]stripes you were healed. ²⁵ For ^(BV)you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned ^(BW)to the Shepherd and ^[w]Overseer of your souls.

Submission to Husbands

3 Wives, likewise, be ^(BX)submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, ^(BY)they, without a word, may ^(BZ)be won by the conduct of their wives, ^2 (CA)when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. ^3 (CB)Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— ⁴ rather let it be ^(CC)the hidden person of the heart, with the ^[x]incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. ⁵ For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, ⁶ as Sarah obeyed Abraham, ^(CD)calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

A Word to Husbands

^7 (CE)Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, ^(CF)as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, ^(CG)that your prayers may not be hindered.

Called to Blessing

⁸ Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be ^[y]courteous; ^9 (CH)not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary ^(CI)blessing, knowing that you were called to this, ^(CJ)that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰ For

Suffering for Right and Wrong

^13 (CP)And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? ^14 (CQ)But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ^(CR)“And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” ¹⁵ But ^[aa]sanctify ^[ab]the Lord God in your hearts, and always ^(CS)be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the ^(CT)hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; ^16 (CU)having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. ¹⁷ For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Christ’s Suffering and Ours

¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring ^[ac]us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, ¹⁹ by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who formerly were disobedient, ^[ad]when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. ^21 (CV)There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism ^(CW)(not the removal of the filth of the flesh, ^(CX)but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and ^(CY)is at the right hand of God, ^(CZ)angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

Christ’s Example to Be Followed

4 Therefore, since Christ suffered ^[ae]for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ² that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, ^(DA)but for the will of God. ³ For we have spent enough of our past ^[af]lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. ⁴ In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. ⁵ They will give an account to Him who is ready ^(DB)to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this reason ^(DC)the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but ^(DD)live according to God in the spirit.

Serving for God’s Glory

⁷ But ^(DE)the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. ⁸ And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ^(DF)“love will cover a multitude of sins.” ^9 (DG)Be hospitable to one another ^(DH)without grumbling. ^10 (DI)As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, ^(DJ)as good stewards of ^(DK)the manifold grace of God. ^11 (DL)If anyone speaks, let him speak as the ^[ag]oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that ^(DM)in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the ^[ah]dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Suffering for God’s Glory

¹² Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ¹³ but rejoice ^(DN)to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that ^(DO)when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. ¹⁴ If you are ^[ai]reproached for the name of Christ, ^(DP)blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. ^[aj]On their part He is blasphemed, ^(DQ)but on your part He is glorified. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a ^[ak]busybody in other people’s matters. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this ^[al]matter.

¹⁷ For the time has come ^(DR)for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, ^(DS)what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ Now

¹⁹ Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God ^(DU)commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

Shepherd the Flock

5 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a ^(DV)witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the ^(DW)glory that will be revealed: ^2 (DX)Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, ^(DY)not by compulsion but ^[am]willingly, ^(DZ)not for dishonest gain but eagerly; ³ nor as ^(EA)being ^[an]lords over ^(EB)those entrusted to you, but ^(EC)being examples to the flock; ⁴ and when ^(ED)the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive ^(EE)the crown of glory that does not fade away.

Submit to God, Resist the Devil

⁵ Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, ^(EF)all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

⁸ Be ^[ao]sober, be ^[ap]vigilant; ^[aq]because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. ¹⁰ But ^[ar]may the God of all grace, ^(EI)who called ^[as]us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, ^[at]perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ^11 (EJ)To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Farewell and Peace

¹² By ^(EK)Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying ^(EL)that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

¹³ She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does ^(EM)Mark my son. ¹⁴ Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Greeting the Faithful

1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and ^(EN)apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have ^[au]obtained ^(EO)like^[av] precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

^2 (EP)Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, ³ as His ^(EQ)divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ^(ER)who called us by glory and virtue, ^4 (ES)by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be ^(ET)partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the ^[aw]corruption that is in the world through lust.

Fruitful Growth in the Faith

⁵ But also for this very reason, ^(EU)giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue ^(EV)knowledge, ⁶ to knowledge self-control, to self-control ^[ax]perseverance, to perseverance godliness, ⁷ to godliness brotherly kindness, and ^(EW)to brotherly kindness love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither ^[ay]barren ^(EX)nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For he who lacks these things is ^(EY)shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

¹⁰ Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent ^(EZ)to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; ¹¹ for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Peter’s Approaching Death

¹² For this reason ^(FA)I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, ^(FB)though you know and are established in the present truth. ¹³ Yes, I think it is right, ^(FC)as long as I am in this ^[az]tent, ^(FD)to stir you up by reminding you, ^14 (FE)knowing that shortly I must ^[ba]put off my tent, just as ^(FF)our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. ¹⁵ Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my ^[bb]decease.

The Trustworthy Prophetic Word^(FG)

¹⁶ For we did not follow ^(FH)cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the ^(FI)power and ^(FJ)coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were ^(FK)eyewitnesses of His majesty. ¹⁷ For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ^(FL)“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” ¹⁸ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on ^(FM)the holy mountain.

^19 [bc]And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a ^(FN)light that shines in a dark place, ^(FO)until ^(FP)the day dawns and the morning star rises in your ^(FQ)hearts; ²⁰ knowing this first, that ^(FR)no prophecy of Scripture is of any private ^[bd]interpretation, ²¹ for ^(FS)prophecy never came by the will of man, ^(FT)but ^[be]holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Destructive Doctrines

2 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be ^(FU)false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. ² And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. ³ By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction ^[bf]does not slumber.

Doom of False Teachers

⁴ For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to ^[bg]hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; ⁵ and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; ⁶ and turning the cities of ^(FV)Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; ⁷ and ^(FW)delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked ⁸ (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, ^(FX)tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— ⁹ then ^(FY)the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, ¹⁰ and especially ^(FZ)those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. ^(GA)They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of ^[bh]dignitaries, ¹¹ whereas ^(GB)angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

Depravity of False Teachers

¹² But these, ^(GC)like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, ^13 (GD)and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure ^(GE)to ^[bi]carouse in the daytime. ^(GF)They are spots and blemishes, ^[bj]carousing in their own deceptions while ^(GG)they feast with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of ^[bk]adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. ^(GH)They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. ¹⁵ They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of ^(GI)Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; ¹⁶ but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

^17 (GJ)These are wells without water, ^[bl]clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness ^[bm]forever.

Deceptions of False Teachers

¹⁸ For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who ^[bn]have actually escaped from those who live in error. ¹⁹ While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of ^[bo]corruption; ^(GK)for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into ^[bp]bondage. ²⁰ For if, after they ^(GL)have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are ^(GM)again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. ²¹ For ^(GN)it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. ²² But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ^(GO)“A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

God’s Promise Is Not Slack^(GP)

3 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which ^(GQ)I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), ² that you may be mindful of the words ^(GR)which were spoken before by the holy prophets, ^(GS)and of the commandment of ^[bq]us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, ³ knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, ^(GT)walking according to their own lusts, ⁴ and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of ^(GU)creation.” ⁵ For this they willfully forget: that ^(GV)by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth ^(GW)standing out of water and in the water, ^6 (GX)by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. ⁷ But ^(GY)the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for ^(GZ)fire until the day of judgment and ^[br]perdition of ungodly men.

⁸ But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and ^(HA)a thousand years as one day. ^9 (HB)The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but ^(HC)is longsuffering toward ^[bs]us, ^(HD)not willing that any should perish but ^(HE)that all should come to repentance.

The Day of the Lord

¹⁰ But ^(HF)the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which ^(HG)the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be ^[bt]burned up. ¹¹ Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be ^(HH)in holy conduct and godliness, ^12 (HI)looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will ^(HJ)be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will ^(HK)melt with fervent heat? ¹³ Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for ^(HL)new heavens and a ^(HM)new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Be Steadfast

¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent ^(HN)to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; ¹⁵ and consider that ^(HO)the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, ¹⁶ as also in all his ^(HP)epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the ^(HQ)rest of the Scriptures.

¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, ^(HR)since you know this beforehand, ^(HS)beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; ^18 (HT)but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

^(HU)To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.