A Living Hope

1 ^(A)Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who reside as ^(B)exiles, ^(C)scattered throughout ^(D)Pontus, ^(E)Galatia, ^(F)Cappadocia, ^(G)Asia, and ^(H)Bithynia, ^(I)who are chosen ² according to the ^(J)foreknowledge of God the Father, ^(K)by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to the ^(L)obedience of Jesus Christ and the ^(M)sprinkling of His blood: ^(N)May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

^3 (O)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who ^(P)according to His great mercy ^(Q)has caused us to be born again to ^(R)a living hope through the ^(S)resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to obtain an ^(T)inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and ^(U)unfading, having been ^(V)kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who are ^(W)protected by the power of God ^(X)through faith for ^(Y)a salvation ready ^(Z)to be revealed in the last time. ^6 (AA)In this you greatly rejoice, even though now ^(AB)for a little while, ^(AC)if necessary, you have been grieved by ^(AD)various ^[a]trials, ⁷ so that the ^[b](AE)proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which ^[c]is perishable, ^(AF)even though tested by fire, ^(AG)may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at ^(AH)the revelation of Jesus Christ. ⁸ And ^(AI)though you have not seen Him, you ^(AJ)love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and ^[d]full of glory, ⁹ receiving as ^(AK)the outcome of your faith the salvation of ^[e]your souls.

^10 (AL)Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who ^(AM)prophesied of the ^(AN)grace that would come to you, made careful searches and inquiries, ^11 [f]inquiring to know what time or what kind of time ^(AO)the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He was ^(AP)predicting the sufferings of Christ and the glories ^[g]to follow. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been declared to you through those who ^(AQ)proclaimed the gospel to you by ^(AR)the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which ^(AS)angels long to ^[h]look.

¹³ Therefore, having ^[i](AT)girded your minds for action, ^[j](AU)being sober in spirit, fix your ^(AV)hope completely on the ^(AW)grace ^[k]to be brought to you at ^(AX)the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As ^[l](AY)obedient children, not ^[m](AZ)being conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ^(BA)ignorance, ¹⁵ but ^[n](BB)like the Holy One who called you, ^[o](BC)be holy yourselves also ^(BD)in all your conduct; ¹⁶ because it is written, “^(BE)You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

¹⁷ And if you ^(BF)address as Father the One who ^(BG)impartially ^(BH)judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves ^[p](BI)in fear during the time of your ^(BJ)sojourn, ¹⁸ knowing that you were not ^[q](BK)redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your ^(BL)futile conduct inherited from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with precious ^(BM)blood, as of a ^(BN)lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. ²⁰ He was ^(BO)foreknown before ^(BP)the foundation of the world, but ^(BQ)appeared ^[r]in these last times ^(BR)for the sake of you ²¹ who through Him are ^(BS)believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and ^(BT)gave Him glory, so that your faith and ^(BU)hope are in God.

²² Since you have ^(BV)in obedience to the truth ^(BW)purified your souls for a love of the brothers ^(BX)without hypocrisy, fervently love one another from ^[s]the heart, ²³ for you have been ^(BY)born again ^(BZ)not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, that is, through the living and enduring ^(CA)word of God. ²⁴ For,

And this is ^(CD)the word which was ^[t]proclaimed to you as good news.