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1 Peter 1
EasyEnglish Bible

God has given us a new life because of Christ

1 This letter is from me, Peter. I am an apostle of Jesus Christ.

I am writing to you, God's own people that he has chosen. You are now living in many different places, in the regions called Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.[a] You are living in these foreign places as strangers. 2 God, the Father, already decided that you should be his people. God's Spirit has made you special people who would obey Jesus Christ. God chose you so that Jesus Christ's blood would make you really clean.[b]

I pray that God will help you and give you peace in your minds more and more.

3 We praise God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is very kind to us, so that he has given us new life. This is possible because God raised Jesus Christ to new life after his death. Now, as we live, we are sure that we will receive good things from God. 4 We wait to receive all the good things that he has prepared for us. Nobody can ever destroy those things. Nothing can spoil them. They will never become old or less beautiful. God is keeping those things in heaven for you. 5 God is using his great power to keep you safe, because you trust him. He will continue to keep you safe until the last day, when Christ will return. Then you will know that God has saved you completely from sin and from death.

6 All this causes you to be very happy, even when you have troubles. For a short time now, different kinds of troubles may make you sad. 7 The purpose of these troubles is to show whether you really trust God. When you believe in Jesus, that is more valuable even than gold. People put gold into a hot fire to see if it is really good. And even gold will come to an end one day. But if you continue to trust God in your troubles, he will be very happy. On the day when Jesus Christ returns and appears to everyone, God will praise you. He will say that you have done well. That will be great!

8 You have never seen Jesus, but still you love him. You do not see him now, but you believe in him. As a result, you are very happy. There are no words to describe how happy you are. 9 You are happy now because God is saving you from sin. You believe in Jesus, and you know that God saves you because of that.[c]

10 A long time ago, God's prophets spoke about this. They said that God would be very kind to you, his people. They studied carefully to learn how God would save people. 11 They wanted to know when God's special Messiah would come and who he would be. Christ's Spirit showed those prophets that the Messiah would receive much trouble and pain. After that, God would show how great the Messiah is. 12 God showed his prophets that his messages about these things were not really to help them. Instead, God sent his message to the prophets to help you. That message is the good news about Jesus Christ which you have now heard. God sent his Holy Spirit from heaven to help people to tell the good news to you. Even the angels would like to understand more about these things.

Christians should do what is good

13 So now, prepare your minds, so that you are ready to live in a good way. Think clearly about how God helps you. Always remember that God will be very kind to you when Jesus Christ comes again. 14 Obey God, like good children who obey their father. Before you knew the true message about Christ, you very much wanted to do bad things. But now you should not agree to live in that bad way. 15 God has chosen you to be his own people. He is completely good. So you must be completely good too, in the way that you live. 16 In the Bible God says this: ‘You must be completely good, because I am completely good.’[d]

17 God knows what each person has done, and he judges each one for those things. He is always fair when he decides about people. He is never kinder to one person than he is to another person. When you pray to God, you call him ‘Father’. So then, always respect him, while you live as strangers here in the world. 18 Your ancestors lived in a way that did not make them really happy. That is the way that you learned to live as well. But now God has saved you from that way of life. You know that he has bought you for himself. He did not buy you with things that do not continue for ever, like silver or gold. 19 Instead, he bought you with the very valuable blood of Christ, who died as a sacrifice for our sins.[e] He died like a lamb that is completely good and has nothing wrong with it.[f]

20 Before the world began, God had already chosen Christ. But now, during these last days of the world, God has shown Christ to people. God did that so that he could help you. 21 Yes, it is because of Christ that you now believe in God. God raised Christ, so that he became alive again after his death. He did that to show everyone that Christ is great. That is why you believe in God. You trust him that he will do good things for you.

22 You have obeyed God's true message. As a result, you have become clean inside, and now you can really love other believers. So continue to love each other very well, with honest thoughts. 23 You now have a new life! It is not like a human life that quickly comes to an end. It is a new life that will never spoil. You received it because you believed God's message. That message continues for ever and it does not change. 24 The Bible says:

‘All people are like grass.
They may seem beautiful for a short time,
like flowers that grow in the fields.
But grass soon becomes dry and it dies.
Flowers soon fall to the ground.

25 But the Lord God's message will continue for ever.’

That message is the good news about Jesus Christ, which people have taught you.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia were all parts of the country that we now call Turkey. There was too much trouble for the Christians to live safely in their own land.
  2. 1:2 Jesus died as a sacrifice so that God would forgive us for our sins. The blood of his sacrifice makes us clean. Our sins do not make us unclean any more because God has forgiven us.
  3. 1:9 God tells us that Jesus died to save us from our sin. If we believe in Jesus, sin no longer has power over us. Also, God will not punish us for our sins because he has punished Jesus instead, on the cross.
  4. 1:16 In the book of Leviticus, God says five times that we should be completely good, like him. See Leviticus 11:44,45; 19:2; 20:7,26.
  5. 1:19 ‘blood of Christ’ means his death as a sacrifice on the cross. Christ was completely good. He never did anything wrong. He died on our behalf. He did much more than any dead animal could ever do. He took away all the wrong things that anyone has ever done.
  6. 1:19 Many years ago, God told the Israelites to kill lambs and other animals and to offer them to him as sacrifices. The animals should have nothing wrong with their bodies. They offered animals to God so that he would forgive their sins.
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1 Peter 1
New International Version

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

To God’s elect,(B) exiles(C) scattered(D) throughout the provinces of Pontus,(E) Galatia,(F) Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,(G) 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge(H) of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,(I) to be obedient(J) to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:(K)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.(L)

Praise to God for a Living Hope

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!(M) In his great mercy(N) he has given us new birth(O) into a living hope(P) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,(Q) 4 and into an inheritance(R) that can never perish, spoil or fade.(S) This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,(T) 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power(U) until the coming of the salvation(V) that is ready to be revealed(W) in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice,(X) though now for a little while(Y) you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.(Z) 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness(AA) of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire(AB)—may result in praise, glory and honor(AC) when Jesus Christ is revealed.(AD) 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him(AE) and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.(AF)

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke(AG) of the grace that was to come to you,(AH) searched intently and with the greatest care,(AI) 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ(AJ) in them was pointing when he predicted(AK) the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,(AL) when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you(AM) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.(AN) Even angels long to look into these things.

Be Holy

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,(AO) set your hope(AP) on the grace to be brought to you(AQ) when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.(AR) 14 As obedient(AS) children, do not conform(AT) to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.(AU) 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;(AV) 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”[a](AW)

17 Since you call on a Father(AX) who judges each person’s work(AY) impartially,(AZ) live out your time as foreigners(BA) here in reverent fear.(BB) 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed(BC) from the empty way of life(BD) handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood(BE) of Christ, a lamb(BF) without blemish or defect.(BG) 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world,(BH) but was revealed in these last times(BI) for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God,(BJ) who raised him from the dead(BK) and glorified him,(BL) and so your faith and hope(BM) are in God.

22 Now that you have purified(BN) yourselves by obeying(BO) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,(BP) from the heart.[b] 23 For you have been born again,(BQ) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,(BR) through the living and enduring word of God.(BS) 24 For,

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25     but the word of the Lord endures forever.”[c](BT)

And this is the word that was preached to you.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 1:16 Lev. 11:44,45; 19:2
  2. 1 Peter 1:22 Some early manuscripts from a pure heart
  3. 1 Peter 1:25 Isaiah 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)
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1 Pietro 1
La Nuova Diodati

1 Pietro, apostolo di Gesú Cristo, agli eletti che risiedono come stranieri, dispersi nel Ponto, nella Galazia, nella Cappadocia, nell'Asia e nella Bitinia,

2 eletti secondo la preordinazione di Dio Padre, mediante la santificazione dello Spirito, per ubbidire e per essere aspersi col sangue di Gesú Cristo: grazia e pace vi siano moltiplicate.

3 Benedetto sia il Dio e Padre del Signor nostro Gesú Cristo, il quale nella sua grande misericordia ci ha rigenerati, a una viva speranza per mezzo della risurrezione di Gesú Cristo dai morti,

4 per un'eredità incorruttibile, incontaminata e immarcescibile, conservata nei cieli per voi

5 che dalla potenza di Dio mediante la fede siete custoditi, per la salvezza che sarà prontamente rivelata negli ultimi tempi.

6 A motivo di questo voi gioite anche se al presente, per un podi tempo, dovete essere afflitti da varie prove,

7 affinché la prova della vostra fede, che è molto piú preziosa dell'oro che perisce anche se vien provato col fuoco, risulti a lode, onore e gloria nella rivelazione di Gesú Cristo,

8 che, pur non avendolo visto, voi amate e, credendo in lui anche se ora non lo vedete, voi esultate di una gioia ineffabile e gloriosa,

9 ottenendo il compimento della vostra fede, la salvezza delle anime.

10 Intorno a questa salvezza ricercarono e investigarono i profeti che profetizzarono della grazia destinata a voi,

11 cercando di conoscere il tempo e le circostanze che erano indicate dallo Spirito di Cristo che era in loro, e che attestava anticipatamente delle sofferenze che sarebbero toccate a Cristo e delle glorie che le avrebbero seguite.

12 A loro fu rivelato che, non per se stessi ma per noi, amministravano quelle cose che ora vi sono state annunziate da coloro che vi hanno predicato l'evangelo, mediante lo Spirito Santo mandato dal cielo; cose nelle quali gli angeli desiderano riguardare addentro.

13 Perciò, avendo cinti i lombi della vostra mente, siate vigilanti, e riponete piena speranza nella grazia che vi sarà conferita nella rivelazione di Gesú Cristo.

14 Come figli ubbidienti, non conformatevi alle concupiscenze del tempo passato, quando eravate nell'ignoranza,

15 ma come colui che vi ha chiamati è santo, voi pure siate santi in tutta la vostra condotta,

16 poiché sta scritto: «Siate santi, perché io sono santo».

17 E se invocate come Padre colui che senza favoritismi di persona giudica secondo l'opera di ciascuno, conducetevi con timore per tutto il tempo del vostro pellegrinaggio,

18 sapendo che non con cose corruttibili, come argento od oro, siete stati riscattati dal vostro vano modo di vivere tramandatovi dai padri,

19 ma col prezioso sangue di Cristo, come di Agnello senza difetto e senza macchia,

20 preconosciuto prima della fondazione del mondo, ma manifestato negli ultimi tempi per voi,

21 che per mezzo di lui credete in Dio che lo ha risuscitato dai morti e gli ha dato gloria, affinché la vostra fede e speranza fossero in Dio.

22 Avendo purificato le anime vostre con l'ubbidienza alla verità mediante lo Spirito, per avere un amore fraterno senza alcuna simulazione, amatevi intensamente gli uni gli altri di puro cuore,

23 perché siete stati rigenerati non da un seme corruttibile, ma incorruttibile, per mezzo della parola di Dio vivente e che dura in eterno.

24 Poiché ogni carne è come l'erba ed ogni gloria d'uomo è come il fiore dell'erba; l'erba si secca e il fiore cade,

25 ma la parola del Signore rimane in eterno; e questa è la parola che vi è stata annunziata.

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