1 Peter 1
Common English Bible
Greeting
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s chosen strangers in the world of the diaspora, who live in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
2 God the Father chose you because of what he knew beforehand. He chose you through the Holy Spirit’s work of making you holy and because of the faithful obedience and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
May God’s grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Thanksgiving
3 May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed! On account of his vast mercy, he has given us new birth. You have been born anew into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 4 You have a pure and enduring inheritance that cannot perish—an inheritance that is presently kept safe in heaven for you. 5 Through his faithfulness, you are guarded by God’s power so that you can receive the salvation he is ready to reveal in the last time.
6 You now rejoice in this hope, even if it’s necessary for you to be distressed for a short time by various trials. 7 This is necessary so that your faith may be found genuine. (Your faith is more valuable than gold, which will be destroyed even though it is itself tested by fire.) Your genuine faith will result in praise, glory, and honor for you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Although you’ve never seen him, you love him. Even though you don’t see him now, you trust him and so rejoice with a glorious joy that is too much for words. 9 You are receiving the goal of your faith: your salvation.
10 The prophets, who long ago foretold the grace that you’ve received, searched and explored, inquiring carefully about this salvation. 11 They wondered what the Spirit of Christ within them was saying when he bore witness beforehand about the suffering that would happen to Christ and the glory that would follow. They wondered what sort of person or what sort of time they were speaking about. 12 It was revealed to them that in their search they were not serving themselves but you. These things, which even angels long to examine, have now been proclaimed to you by those who brought you the good news. They did this in the power of the Holy Spirit, who was sent from heaven.
Response of obedience
13 Therefore, once you have your minds ready for action and you are thinking clearly, place your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 Don’t be conformed to your former desires, those that shaped you when you were ignorant. But, as obedient children, 15 you must be holy in every aspect of your lives, just as the one who called you is holy. 16 It is written, You will be holy, because I am holy.[a] 17 Since you call upon a Father who judges all people according to their actions without favoritism, you should conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your dwelling in a strange land. 18 Live in this way, knowing that you were not liberated by perishable things like silver or gold from the empty lifestyle you inherited from your ancestors. 19 Instead, you were liberated by the precious blood of Christ, like that of a flawless, spotless lamb. 20 Christ was chosen before the creation of the world, but was only revealed at the end of time. This was done for you, 21 who through Christ are faithful to the God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory. So now, your faith and hope should rest in God.
22 As you set yourselves apart by your obedience to the truth so that you might have genuine affection for your fellow believers, love each other deeply and earnestly. 23 Do this because you have been given new birth—not from the type of seed that decays but from seed that doesn’t. This seed is God’s life-giving and enduring word. 24 Thus,
All human life on the earth is like grass,
and all human glory is like a flower in a field.
The grass dries up and its flower falls off,
25 but the Lord’s word endures forever.[b]
This is the word that was proclaimed to you as good news.
Footnotes
1 Peter 1
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Greeting
1 Peter,(A) an apostle of Jesus Christ:
To the temporary residents(B) dispersed[a](C) in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,(D) chosen(E) 2 according to the foreknowledge(F) of God the Father and set apart by the Spirit(G) for obedience(H) and for sprinkling with the blood(I) of Jesus Christ.
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
A Living Hope
3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.(J) According to His great mercy,(K) He has given us a new birth(L) into a living hope(M) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead(N) 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable,(O) uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven(P) for you. 5 You are being protected by God’s power(Q) through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.(R) 6 You rejoice in this,[b] though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials(S) 7 so that the genuineness of your faith(T)—more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire(U)—may result(V) in[c] praise, glory, and honor(W) at the revelation of Jesus Christ.(X) 8 You love Him,(Y) though you have not seen(Z) Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice(AA) with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your[d] faith, the salvation of your souls.[e]
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets(AB) who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. 11 They inquired into what time or what circumstances[f] the Spirit of Christ(AC) within them was indicating when He testified in advance(AD) to the messianic sufferings[g](AE) and the glories(AF) that would follow.[h] 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you(AG) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.(AH) Angels desire to look into these things.
A Call to Holy Living
13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action,[i](AI) be serious(AJ) and set your hope(AK) completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation(AL) of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children,(AM) do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 But as the One who called you(AN) is holy,(AO) you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.(AP)[j]
17 And if you address as Father the One who judges impartially(AQ) based on each one’s work,(AR) you are to conduct yourselves in fear(AS) during the time of your temporary residence. 18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life(AT) inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold,(AU) 19 but with the precious blood of Christ,(AV) like that of a lamb(AW) without defect or blemish. 20 He was chosen[k](AX) before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the times(AY) for you 21 who through Him are believers in God,(AZ) who raised Him from the dead(BA) and gave Him glory,(BB) so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 By obedience to the truth,[l] having purified yourselves[m] for sincere love of the brothers, love one another(BC) earnestly[n] from a pure[o] heart,(BD) 23 since you have been born again(BE)—not of perishable seed(BF) but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.(BG) 24 For
All flesh is like grass,
and all its glory(BH) like a flower of the grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.(BI)[p]
And this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 1:1 Jewish people scattered throughout Gentile lands who spoke Gk and were influenced by Gk culture.
- 1 Peter 1:6 Or In this [fact] rejoice
- 1 Peter 1:7 Lit may be found for
- 1 Peter 1:9 Other mss read our, or they omit the possessive pronoun
- 1 Peter 1:9 Or your lives
- 1 Peter 1:11 Or inquired about the person or time
- 1 Peter 1:11 Or the sufferings of Christ
- 1 Peter 1:11 Lit the glories after that
- 1 Peter 1:13 Lit Therefore, when you have the loins of your mind girded
- 1 Peter 1:16 Lv 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7
- 1 Peter 1:20 Or foreknown
- 1 Peter 1:22 Other mss add through the Spirit
- 1 Peter 1:22 Or purified your souls
- 1 Peter 1:22 Or intensely
- 1 Peter 1:22 Other mss omit pure
- 1 Peter 1:25 Is 40:6-8
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.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
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