1 Peter 1:13 - 2 Peter 3:11

English Standard Version

Called to Be Holy

¹³ Therefore, ^(A)preparing your minds for action,^[a] and ^(B)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, ^(C)do not be conformed to the passions ^(D)of your former ignorance, ¹⁵ but ^(E)as he who called you is holy, you also be holy ^(F)in all your conduct, ¹⁶ since it is written, ^(G)“You shall be holy, for I am holy.” ¹⁷ And if you ^(H)call on him as Father who ^(I)judges ^(J)impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves ^(K)with fear throughout the time of your exile, ¹⁸ knowing that you ^(L)were ransomed from ^(M)the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, ¹⁹ but ^(N)with the precious blood of Christ, like that of ^(O)a lamb ^(P)without blemish or spot. ²⁰ He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but ^(Q)was made manifest ^(R)in the last times for the sake of you ^21 (S)who through him are believers in God, ^(T)who raised him from the dead and ^(U)gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

²² Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for ^(V)a sincere brotherly love, ^(W)love one another earnestly from a pure heart, ^23 (X)since you have been born again, ^(Y)not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through ^(Z)the living and abiding word of God; ²⁴ for

And this word ^(AC)is the good news that was preached to you.

A Living Stone and a Holy People

2 ^(AD)So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. ^2 (AE)Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual ^(AF)milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— ³ if indeed you have ^(AG)tasted that the Lord is good.

⁴ As you come to him, a living stone ^(AH)rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, ^5 (AI)you yourselves like living stones are being built up as ^(AJ)a spiritual house, to be ^(AK)a holy priesthood, ^(AL)to offer spiritual sacrifices ^(AM)acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it stands in Scripture:

⁷ So the honor is for you who ^(AP)believe, but for those who ^(AQ)do not believe,

⁸ and

They stumble because they disobey the word, ^(AT)as they were destined to do.

⁹ But you are ^(AU)a chosen race, ^(AV)a royal ^(AW)priesthood, ^(AX)a holy nation, ^(AY)a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you ^(AZ)out of darkness into ^(BA)his marvelous light. ^10 (BB)Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹ Beloved, I urge you ^(BC)as sojourners and exiles ^(BD)to abstain from the passions of the flesh, ^(BE)which wage war against your soul. ^12 (BF)Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, ^(BG)they may see your good deeds and glorify God on ^(BH)the day of visitation.

Submission to Authority

^13 (BI)Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution,^[c] whether it be to the emperor^[d] as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him ^(BJ)to punish those who do evil and ^(BK)to praise those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, ^(BL)that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. ^16 (BM)Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but ^(BN)living as servants^[e] of God. ^17 (BO)Honor everyone. ^(BP)Love the brotherhood. ^(BQ)Fear God. Honor the emperor.

^18 (BR)Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. ¹⁹ For this is a gracious thing, when, ^(BS)mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. ²⁰ For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But ^(BT)if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. ²¹ For ^(BU)to this you have been called, ^(BV)because Christ also suffered for you, ^(BW)leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. ^22 (BX)He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. ^23 (BY)When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, ^(BZ)but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. ^24 (CA)He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we ^(CB)might die to sin and ^(CC)live to righteousness. ^(CD)By his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵ For ^(CE)you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to ^(CF)the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Wives and Husbands

3 Likewise, wives, ^(CG)be subject to your own husbands, so that ^(CH)even if some do not obey the word, ^(CI)they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, ² when they see your ^(CJ)respectful and pure conduct. ^3 (CK)Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— ⁴ but let your adorning be ^(CL)the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. ⁵ For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, ⁶ as Sarah obeyed Abraham, ^(CM)calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and ^(CN)do not fear anything that is frightening.

⁷ Likewise, ^(CO)husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker ^(CP)vessel, since they are heirs with you^[f] of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Suffering for Righteousness' Sake

⁸ Finally, all of you, ^(CQ)have unity of mind, sympathy, ^(CR)brotherly love, ^(CS)a tender heart, and ^(CT)a humble mind. ^9 (CU)Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, ^(CV)bless, for ^(CW)to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. ¹⁰ For

¹³ Now ^(CY)who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? ^14 (CZ)But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. ^(DA)Have no fear of them, ^(DB)nor be troubled, ¹⁵ but ^(DC)in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, ^(DD)always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and ^(DE)respect, ^16 (DF)having a good conscience, so that, ^(DG)when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷ For ^(DH)it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

¹⁸ For Christ also ^(DI)suffered^{[g] (DJ)}once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, ^(DK)that he might bring us to God, being put to death ^(DL)in the flesh but made alive ^(DM)in the spirit, ¹⁹ in which^[h] he went and ^(DN)proclaimed^[i] to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ because^[j] they formerly did not obey, ^(DO)when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, ^(DP)while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, ^(DQ)eight persons, were brought safely through water. ²¹ Baptism, which corresponds to this, ^(DR)now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but ^(DS)as an appeal to God for a good conscience, ^(DT)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and ^(DU)is at the right hand of God, ^(DV)with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Stewards of God's Grace

4 Since therefore ^(DW)Christ suffered in the flesh,^{[k] (DX)}arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for ^(DY)whoever has suffered in the flesh ^(DZ)has ceased from sin, ^2 (EA)so as to live for ^(EB)the rest of the time in the flesh ^(EC)no longer for human passions but ^(ED)for the will of God. ³ For the time that is past ^(EE)suffices ^(EF)for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. ⁴ With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of ^(EG)debauchery, and ^(EH)they malign you; ⁵ but they will give account to him who is ready ^(EI)to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this is why ^(EJ)the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

^7 (EK)The end of all things is at hand; therefore ^(EL)be self-controlled and sober-minded ^(EM)for the sake of your prayers. ⁸ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since ^(EN)love covers a multitude of sins. ^9 (EO)Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. ^10 (EP)As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, ^(EQ)as good stewards of God's varied grace: ¹¹ whoever speaks, as one who speaks ^(ER)oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves ^(ES)by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything ^(ET)God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. ^(EU)To him belong glory and ^(EV)dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Suffering as a Christian

¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at ^(EW)the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice ^(EX)insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad ^(EY)when his glory is revealed. ^14 (EZ)If you are insulted ^(FA)for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory^[l] and of God rests upon you. ¹⁵ But ^(FB)let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or ^(FC)as a meddler. ¹⁶ Yet ^(FD)if anyone suffers as a ^(FE)Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God ^(FF)in that name. ¹⁷ For it is time for judgment ^(FG)to begin at the household of God; and ^(FH)if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who ^(FI)do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ And

¹⁹ Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will ^(FK)entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Shepherd the Flock of God

5 So I exhort the elders among you, ^(FL)as a fellow elder and ^(FM)a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: ^2 (FN)shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,^{[n] (FO)}not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;^{[o] (FP)}not for shameful gain, but eagerly; ³ not ^(FQ)domineering over those in your charge, but ^(FR)being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when ^(FS)the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the ^(FT)unfading ^(FU)crown of glory. ⁵ Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. ^(FV)Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ^(FW)“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

^6 (FX)Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ^7 (FY)casting all your anxieties on him, because ^(FZ)he cares for you. ^8 (GA)Be sober-minded; ^(GB)be watchful. Your ^(GC)adversary the devil ^(GD)prowls around ^(GE)like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ^9 (GF)Resist him, ^(GG)firm in your faith, knowing that ^(GH)the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. ¹⁰ And ^(GI)after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, ^(GJ)who has called you to his ^(GK)eternal glory in Christ, will himself ^(GL)restore, ^(GM)confirm, strengthen, and establish you. ^11 (GN)To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

¹² By ^(GO)Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, ^(GP)I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is ^(GQ)the true grace of God. ^(GR)Stand firm in it. ¹³ She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does ^(GS)Mark, my son. ^14 (GT)Greet one another with the kiss of love.

^(GU)Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Greeting

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

To those who have obtained ^(GV)a faith of equal standing with ours ^(GW)by the righteousness of our ^(GX)God and Savior Jesus Christ:

^2 (GY)May grace and peace be multiplied to you ^(GZ)in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Confirm Your Calling and Election

³ His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him ^(HA)who called us to^[r] his own glory and excellence,^{[s] 4} by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become ^(HB)partakers of the divine nature, ^(HC)having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. ⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith ^(HD)with virtue,^[t] and virtue ^(HE)with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control ^(HF)with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness ^(HG)with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection ^(HH)with love. ⁸ For if these qualities^[u] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or ^(HI)unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he ^(HJ)is blind, having forgotten that he was ^(HK)cleansed from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers,^[v] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and ^(HL)election, for if you practice these qualities ^(HM)you will never fall. ¹¹ For in this way there will be richly provided for you ^(HN)an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

¹² Therefore I intend ^(HO)always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in ^(HP)the truth that you have. ¹³ I think it right, as long as I am in this ^(HQ)body,^{[w] (HR)}to stir you up by way of reminder, ^14 (HS)since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, ^(HT)as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. ¹⁵ And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

Christ's Glory and the Prophetic Word

¹⁶ For we did not follow ^(HU)cleverly devised ^(HV)myths when we made known to you ^(HW)the power and ^(HX)coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but ^(HY)we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ^(HZ)“This is my beloved Son,^[x] with whom I am well pleased,” ¹⁸ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on ^(IA)the holy mountain. ¹⁹ And ^(IB)we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention ^(IC)as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until ^(ID)the day ^(IE)dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, ²⁰ knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. ²¹ For ^(IF)no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God ^(IG)as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

False Prophets and Teachers

2 But ^(IH)false prophets also arose among the people, ^(II)just as there will be false teachers among you, who will ^(IJ)secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master ^(IK)who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. ² And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth ^(IL)will be blasphemed. ³ And ^(IM)in their greed they will exploit you ^(IN)with false words. ^(IO)Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

⁴ For if God did not spare ^(IP)angels when they sinned, but ^(IQ)cast them into hell^[y] and committed them to chains^[z] of gloomy darkness ^(IR)to be kept until the judgment; ⁵ if he did not spare the ancient world, but ^(IS)preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought ^(IT)a flood upon the world of the ungodly; ⁶ if by ^(IU)turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, ^(IV)making them an example of ^(IW)what is going to happen to the ungodly;^{[aa] 7} and ^(IX)if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked ⁸ (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, ^(IY)he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); ⁹ then ^(IZ)the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials,^[ab] and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, ¹⁰ and especially ^(JA)those who indulge^[ac] in the lust of defiling passion and ^(JB)despise authority.

Bold and willful, they do not tremble ^(JC)as they blaspheme the glorious ones, ^11 (JD)whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. ^12 (JE)But these, like irrational animals, ^(JF)creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, ¹³ suffering wrong as ^(JG)the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure ^(JH)to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions,^[ad] while ^(JI)they feast with you. ¹⁴ They have eyes full of adultery,^{[ae] (JJ)}insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts ^(JK)trained in greed. ^(JL)Accursed children! ¹⁵ Forsaking the right way, ^(JM)they have gone astray. They have followed ^(JN)the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved ^(JO)gain from wrongdoing, ¹⁶ but was rebuked for his own transgression; ^(JP)a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.

^17 (JQ)These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. ^(JR)For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. ¹⁸ For, ^(JS)speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely ^(JT)escaping from those who live in error. ¹⁹ They promise them ^(JU)freedom, ^(JV)but they themselves are slaves^[af] of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. ²⁰ For if, ^(JW)after they have escaped the defilements of the world ^(JX)through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, ^(JY)the last state has become worse for them than the first. ²¹ For ^(JZ)it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from ^(KA)the holy commandment delivered to them. ²² What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The ^(KB)dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

The Day of the Lord Will Come

3 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them ^(KC)I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, ^2 (KD)that you should remember the predictions of ^(KE)the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, ³ knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come ^(KF)in the last days with scoffing, ^(KG)following their own sinful desires. ^4 (KH)They will say, “Where is the promise of ^(KI)his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” ⁵ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth ^(KJ)was formed out of water and through water ^(KK)by the word of God, ⁶ and that by means of these the world that then existed ^(KL)was deluged with water and ^(KM)perished. ⁷ But by the same word ^(KN)the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and ^(KO)destruction of the ungodly.

⁸ But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and ^(KP)a thousand years as one day. ^9 (KQ)The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise ^(KR)as some count slowness, but ^(KS)is patient toward you,^{[ag] (KT)}not wishing that any should perish, but ^(KU)that all should reach repentance. ¹⁰ But ^(KV)the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then ^(KW)the heavens will pass away with a roar, and ^(KX)the heavenly bodies^[ah] will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.^[ai]

¹¹ Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, ^(KY)what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,