Be [a]sober, be [b]vigilant; [c]because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But [d]may the God of all grace, (A)who called [e]us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, [f]perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 (B)To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Farewell and Peace

12 By (C)Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying (D)that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 5:8 self-controlled
  2. 1 Peter 5:8 watchful
  3. 1 Peter 5:8 NU, M omit because
  4. 1 Peter 5:10 NU the God of all grace,
  5. 1 Peter 5:10 NU, M you
  6. 1 Peter 5:10 NU will perfect

Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion,[a] is on the prowl looking for someone[b] to devour. Resist him,[c] strong in your faith, because you know[d] that your brothers and sisters[e] throughout the world[f] are enduring[g] the same kinds of suffering.[h] 10 And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ[i] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.[j] 11 To him belongs[k] the power forever. Amen.

Final Greetings

12 Through Silvanus,[l] whom I know to be a faithful brother,[m] I have written to you briefly, in order to encourage you and testify[n] that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.[o]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 5:8 sn This phrase may be an allusion to Ps 22:13.
  2. 1 Peter 5:8 tc A few mss (B Ψ 1175) lack the pronoun τινα (tina), while others have it. Those that have it either put the acute accent over the penult, making this an interrogative pronoun (“whom”; 436 642 2492 vg; most Fathers), or leave off any accent, making this an indefinite pronoun (“someone”; L P 33vid 81 1611 1735 1739 2344 al), or are too early to employ accents but nevertheless have the pronoun τινα (P72 א A). Generally speaking, the shorter and harder reading is to be preferred. In this instance, the omission of the pronoun would obviously be accommodated for by scribes, since both ζητέω (zēteō, “look, seek”) and καταπίνω (katapinō, “devour”) are transitive verbs. However, if the omission were original, one might expect the position of the pronoun to float in the mss—both before and after the infinitive καταπιεῖν (katapiein, “to devour”). Further, other terms might be expected as well, such as ἕνα ἐξ ὑμῶν (hena ex humōn, “one of you”) or τινα ἐξ ὑμῶν (tina ex humōn, “a certain one/someone of you”). The uniformity of both the word and its location suggests that the shorter reading (found in but a few Greek mss) in this instance was a scribal mistake. As to whether the pronoun is interrogative or indefinite, since accents were not a part of the earliest mss, such Greek witnesses are of no help to us in this kind of problem. There would be little difference in meaning between the two in this context.
  3. 1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “whom,” referring to the devil in v. 8. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  4. 1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “knowing,” a participle that usually denotes a reason for the related action.
  5. 1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “your brotherhood.” The Greek term “brotherhood” is used in a broad sense to connote familial relationships within the family of God (cf. BDAG 19 s.v. ἀδελφότης 1). Another alternative translation would be “your fellow believers,” though this would weaken the familial connotations. This same word occurs in 2:17; there it has been translated “family of believers.”
  6. 1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “your brotherhood in the world,” referring to the Christian community worldwide.
  7. 1 Peter 5:9 tn This verb carries the nuance “to accomplish, complete,” emphasizing their faithful endurance in suffering. The verb is passive in Greek (“suffering is being endured by your brotherhood”), but has been translated as an active to give a smoother English style.
  8. 1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “the same things of sufferings.”
  9. 1 Peter 5:10 tc A few significant mss (א B 614 630 1505 1611) lack “Jesus” after “Christ,” while the majority include the name (P72 A P Ψ 5 33 81 436 442 1175 1735 1739 1852 2344 2492 M latt). The inclusion is a natural and predictable expansion on the text, but in light of its broad representation a decision is difficult. NA28 lists the longer reading in the apparatus with a diamond, indicating a toss-up as to what the initial text should read.
  10. 1 Peter 5:10 tn The pronoun “you” is not used explicitly but is clearly implied by the Greek.
  11. 1 Peter 5:11 tn No verb is expressed here but the verb “is” or “belongs” is clearly implied. This doxology expresses a fact for which God should be glorified (as in 4:11), rather than a wish or prayer (“may power be to him”).
  12. 1 Peter 5:12 sn The phrase Through Silvanus means either that Silvanus was the secretary (amanuensis) who assisted Peter in writing or composing the letter (cf. Rom 16:22) or that he carried the letter to the churches. The latter sense is more likely since this is the meaning of the Greek wording when it is used elsewhere (cf. Acts 15:23; Ignatius, Letter to the Romans 10:1; Letter to the Philadelphians 11:2; Letter to the Smyrnaeans 12:1; Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians 14), though it is perhaps possible that both ideas could be incorporated by this expression. For a detailed argument regarding this issue, see E. R. Richards, “Silvanus Was Not Peter’s Secretary: Theological Bias in Interpreting διὰ Σιλουανοῦἔγραψα,” JETS 43 (September 2000): 417-32.
  13. 1 Peter 5:12 tn Grk “the faithful brother, as I think.”
  14. 1 Peter 5:12 tn These are participles (“encouraging and testifying”) showing purpose. The pronoun object “you” is omitted in Greek but implied by the context.
  15. 1 Peter 5:12 tn Grk “in which stand fast.” For emphasis, and due to constraints of contemporary English, this was made a separate sentence in the translation.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers[a] all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

10 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11 All power to him forever! Amen.

Peter’s Final Greetings

12 I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas,[b] whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:9 Greek your brotherhood.
  2. 5:12 Greek Silvanus.