1 Peter 1-3

New American Standard Bible 1995

A Living Hope, and a Sure Salvation

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

To those who reside as ^(B)aliens, ^(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, ^[a]to ^(L)obey Jesus Christ and be ^(M)sprinkled with His blood: ^(N)May grace and peace ^[b]be yours in the fullest measure.

^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 which is imperishable and undefiled and ^(U)will not fade away, ^(V)reserved 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 distressed by ^(AD)various ^[c]trials, ⁷ so that the ^[d](AE)proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which ^[e]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 greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and ^[f]full of glory, ⁹ obtaining as ^(AK)the outcome of your faith the salvation of ^[g]your souls.

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

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

¹⁷ If you ^(BF)address as Father the One who ^(BG)impartially ^(BH)judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves ^(BI)in fear during the time of your ^(BJ)stay on earth; ¹⁸ knowing that you were not ^[r](BK)redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your ^(BL)futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with precious ^(BM)blood, as of a ^(BN)lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. ²⁰ For He was ^(BO)foreknown before ^(BP)the foundation of the world, but has ^(BQ)appeared ^[s]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 ^[t](BX)sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from ^[u]the heart, ²³ for you have been ^(BY)born again ^(BZ)not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring ^(CA)word of God. ²⁴ For,

And this is ^(CD)the word which was ^[v]preached to you.

As Newborn Babes

2 Therefore, ^(CE)putting aside all ^[w]malice and all deceit and ^[x]hypocrisy and ^[y]envy and all ^[z](CF)slander, ^2 (CG)like newborn babies, long for the ^[aa](CH)pure ^[ab]milk of the word, so that by it you may ^(CI)grow ^[ac]in respect to salvation, ³ if you have ^(CJ)tasted ^[ad](CK)the kindness of the Lord.

As Living Stones

⁴ And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been ^(CL)rejected by men, but is ^[ae]choice and precious in the sight of God, ^5 (CM)you also, as living stones, ^[af]are being built up as a ^(CN)spiritual house for a holy ^(CO)priesthood, to ^(CP)offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For this is contained in ^[ag]Scripture:

^7 (CS)This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,

⁸ and,

^(CW)for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, ^(CX)and to this doom they were also appointed.

⁹ But you are ^(CY)a chosen race, a royal ^(CZ)priesthood, a ^(DA)holy nation, ^(DB)a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you ^(DC)out of darkness into His marvelous light; ^10 (DD)for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

^11 (DE)Beloved, ^(DF)I urge you as ^(DG)aliens and strangers to abstain from ^(DH)fleshly lusts which wage ^(DI)war against the soul. ^12 (DJ)Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they ^(DK)slander you as evildoers, they may ^[aj]because of your good deeds, as they observe them, ^(DL)glorify God ^(DM)in the day of ^[ak]visitation.

Honor Authority

^13 (DN)Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent ^[al]by him ^(DO)for the punishment of evildoers and the ^(DP)praise of those who do right. ¹⁵ For ^[am](DQ)such is the will of God that by doing right you may ^(DR)silence the ignorance of foolish men. ¹⁶ Act as ^(DS)free men, and ^[an]do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as ^(DT)bondslaves of God. ^17 (DU)Honor all people, ^(DV)love the brotherhood, ^(DW)fear God, ^(DX)honor the ^[ao]king.

^18 (DY)Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and ^(DZ)gentle, but also to those who are ^[ap]unreasonable. ¹⁹ For this finds ^[aq]favor, if for the sake of ^(EA)conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. ²⁰ For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if ^(EB)when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds ^[ar]favor with God.

Christ Is Our Example

²¹ For ^(EC)you have been called for this purpose, ^(ED)since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you ^(EE)an example for you to follow in His steps, ²² who ^(EF)committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; ^23 [as]and while being ^(EG)reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴ and He Himself ^[at](EH)bore our sins in His body on the ^[au](EI)cross, so that we ^(EJ)might die to ^[av]sin and live to righteousness; for ^(EK)by His ^[aw]wounds you were ^(EL)healed. ²⁵ For you were ^(EM)continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the ^(EN)Shepherd and ^[ax]Guardian of your souls.

Godly Living

3 ^(EO)In the same way, you wives, ^(EP)be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be ^(EQ)won without a word by the behavior of their wives, ² as they observe your chaste and ^[ay]respectful behavior. ^3 (ER)Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; ⁴ but let it be ^(ES)the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. ⁵ For in this way in former times the holy women also, ^(ET)who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; ⁶ just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, ^(EU)calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right ^[az](EV)without being frightened by any fear.

^7 (EW)You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with ^[ba](EX)someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

^8 [bb]To sum up, ^(EY)all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, ^(EZ)brotherly, ^(FA)kindhearted, and ^(FB)humble in spirit; ^9 (FC)not returning evil for evil or ^(FD)insult for insult, but ^[bc]giving a ^(FE)blessing instead; for ^(FF)you were called for the very purpose that you might ^(FG)inherit a blessing. ¹⁰ For,

^13 (FK)Who is ^[bd]there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you should ^(FL)suffer for the sake of righteousness, ^(FM)you ^[be]are blessed. ^(FN)And do not fear their ^[bf]intimidation, and do not be troubled, ¹⁵ but ^[bg]sanctify ^(FO)Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready ^(FP)to make a ^[bh]defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the ^(FQ)hope that is in you, yet ^(FR)with gentleness and ^[bi](FS)reverence; ^16 [bj]and keep a ^(FT)good conscience so that in the thing in which ^(FU)you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. ¹⁷ For ^(FV)it is better, ^(FW)if ^[bk]God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. ¹⁸ For ^(FX)Christ also died for sins ^(FY)once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might ^(FZ)bring us to God, having been put to death ^(GA)in the flesh, but made alive ^(GB)in the ^[bl]spirit; ¹⁹ in ^[bm]which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, ²⁰ who once were disobedient, when the ^(GC)patience of God ^(GD)kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of ^(GE)the ark, in which a few, that is, ^(GF)eight ^(GG)persons, were brought safely through the ^[bn]water. ^21 (GH)Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—^(GI)not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God ^[bo]for a ^(GJ)good conscience—through ^(GK)the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ^22 (GL)who is at the right hand of God, ^(GM)having gone into heaven, ^(GN)after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.