A Living Hope and a Sure Salvation

(A)Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who reside as (B)strangers, (C)scattered throughout (D)Pontus, (E)Galatia, (F)Cappadocia, (G)Asia, and (H)Bithynia, (I)who are chosen 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 be multiplied to you.

(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, to obtain an (T)inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and (U)will not fade away, (V)reserved in heaven for you, 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. (AA)In this you greatly rejoice, even though now (AB)for a little while, (AC)if necessary, you have been distressed by (AD)various [b]trials, so that the [c](AE)proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes (AF)though tested by fire, (AG)may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at (AH)the revelation of Jesus Christ; 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 [d]full of glory, obtaining as (AK)the outcome of your faith, the salvation of [e]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 [f]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 [g]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 [h]look.

13 Therefore, [i](AT)prepare your minds for action, [j](AU)keep sober in spirit, set your (AV)hope completely on the (AW)grace to be brought to you at (AX)the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As [k](AY)obedient children, do not [l](AZ)be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your (BA)ignorance, 15 but [m](BB)like the Holy One who called you, [n](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 [o](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 [p]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)purified your souls (BW)in obedience to the truth for a (BX)sincere love of the brothers and sisters, fervently love one another from [q]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,

(CB)All flesh is like grass,
And all its glory is like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
And the flower falls off,
25 (CC)But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

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

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 1:2 Lit unto obedience and sprinkling
  2. 1 Peter 1:6 Or temptations
  3. 1 Peter 1:7 Or genuineness
  4. 1 Peter 1:8 Lit glorified
  5. 1 Peter 1:9 One early ms does not contain your
  6. 1 Peter 1:11 Or inquiring
  7. 1 Peter 1:11 Lit after these
  8. 1 Peter 1:12 Or gain a clear glimpse
  9. 1 Peter 1:13 Lit belt up the waist of your mind
  10. 1 Peter 1:13 Lit be sober
  11. 1 Peter 1:14 Lit children of obedience
  12. 1 Peter 1:14 Or conform yourselves
  13. 1 Peter 1:15 Lit according to
  14. 1 Peter 1:15 Or become
  15. 1 Peter 1:18 Or ransomed
  16. 1 Peter 1:20 Lit at the end of the times
  17. 1 Peter 1:22 Two early mss a pure heart
  18. 1 Peter 1:25 Lit preached as good news to you

Greetings

From:[a] Peter, an apostle of Jesus, the Messiah.[b]

To: The exiles of the Dispersion[c] in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, the people chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying action of the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus, the Messiah,[d] and to be sprinkled with his blood.

May grace and peace be yours in abundance!

Our Hope and Joy are in the Messiah

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah![e] Because of his great mercy he has granted us a new birth, resulting in an immortal hope through the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah,[f] from the dead and to an inheritance kept in heaven for you that can’t be destroyed, corrupted, or changed. Through faith you are being protected by God’s power for a salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of this era. You greatly rejoice in this, even though you have to suffer various kinds of trials for a little while, so that your genuine faith, which is more valuable than gold that perishes when tested by fire, may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus, the Messiah,[g] is revealed.

Though you have not seen[h] him, you love him. And even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Even the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours, carefully researched and investigated this salvation. 11 They tried to find out what era or specific time the Spirit of the Messiah[i] in them kept referring to when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah[j] and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you in regard to the things that have now been announced to you by those who brought you the good news through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. These are things that even the angels desire to look into.

Be Holy

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep a clear head, and set your hope completely on the grace to be given you when Jesus, the Messiah,[k] is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not be shaped by the desires that used to influence you when you were ignorant. 15 Instead, be holy in every aspect of your life, just as the one who called you is holy. 16 For it is written, “You must be holy, because I am holy.”[l]

17 If you call “Father” the one who judges everyone impartially according to what they have done, you must live in reverent fear as long as you are strangers in a strange land. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things like silver or gold that you have been ransomed from the worthless way of life handed down to you by your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of the Messiah,[m] like that of a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 On the one hand, he was foreknown before the creation[n] of the world, but on the other hand, he was revealed at the end of time for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope might be in God.

Love One Another

22 Now that you have obeyed the truth[o] and have purified your souls to love your brothers sincerely, you must love one another intensely and with a pure heart. 23 For you have been born again, not by a seed that perishes but by one that cannot perish—by the living and everlasting word of God.[p] 24 For

“All human life[q] is like grass,
    and all its glory is like a flower in the grass.
The grass dries up and the flower drops off,
25 but the word of the Lord[r] lasts forever.”[s]

Now this word is the good news that was announced to you.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 1:1 The Gk. lacks From
  2. 1 Peter 1:1 Or Christ
  3. 1 Peter 1:1 Or Diaspora; i.e. the Jewish communities outside the land of Israel
  4. 1 Peter 1:2 Or Christ
  5. 1 Peter 1:3 Or Christ
  6. 1 Peter 1:3 Or Christ
  7. 1 Peter 1:7 Or Christ
  8. 1 Peter 1:8 Other mss. read known
  9. 1 Peter 1:11 Or Christ
  10. 1 Peter 1:11 Or Christ
  11. 1 Peter 1:13 Or Christ
  12. 1 Peter 1:16 Cf. Lev 11:44-45; Lev 19:2
  13. 1 Peter 1:19 Or Christ
  14. 1 Peter 1:20 Or foundation
  15. 1 Peter 1:22 Other mss. read the truth through the Spirit
  16. 1 Peter 1:23 Or by the word of the living and everlasting God
  17. 1 Peter 1:24 Lit. all flesh
  18. 1 Peter 1:25 MT source citation reads Lord
  19. 1 Peter 1:25 Cf. Isa 40:6-8