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

Greeting

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen[a] who are residing temporarily in the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and for sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

A New Birth to a Living Hope

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, into an inheritance imperishable and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for you who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time, in which you rejoice greatly, although[b] now for a short time, if necessary,[c] you are distressed by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more valuable than gold that is passing away, but is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom, although you[d] have not seen, you love; in whom now you believe, although you[e] do not see him, and you rejoice greatly with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining the goal of your faith, the salvation of your[f] souls.

10 Concerning this[g] salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace meant for you sought and made careful inquiry, 11 investigating for what person or which time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he[h] testified beforehand to the sufferings with reference to Christ and the glories after these things, 12 to whom it was revealed that they were serving not themselves but you with reference to the same things which now have been announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which[i] angels desire to look.

Be Holy in All Your Conduct

13 Therefore, when you have prepared your minds for action[j] by[k] being self-controlled, put your hope completely in the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former desires you used to conform to[l] in your ignorance, 15 but as the one who called you is holy, you yourselves be holy in all your conduct, 16 for it is written, “You will be holy, because I am[m] holy.”[n][o] 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves with fear during the time of your temporary residence, 18 because you[p] know that you were redeemed from your futile way of life inherited from your ancestors not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb 20 who was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has been revealed in these last times for you 21 who through him are believing in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love, love one another fervently from the heart,[q] 23 because you[r] have been born again, not from perishable seed but imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For

“all flesh is like grass,
    and all its glory like the flower of the grass.
The grass withers and the flower falls off,
25     but the word of the Lord endures forever[s].”[t]

And this is the word that has been proclaimed to you.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 1:1 Or “elect”
  2. 1 Peter 1:6 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are distressed”) which is understood as concessive
  3. 1 Peter 1:6 Some manuscripts have “if it is necessary”
  4. 1 Peter 1:8 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“seen”) which is understood as concessive
  5. 1 Peter 1:8 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“see”) which is understood as concessive
  6. 1 Peter 1:9 This is an understood repetition of the previous “your”
  7. 1 Peter 1:10 Literally “which”
  8. 1 Peter 1:11 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“testified beforehand”) which is understood as temporal
  9. 1 Peter 1:12 Literally “into which things
  10. 1 Peter 1:13 Literally “having girded up the loins of your mind”
  11. 1 Peter 1:13 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“being self-controlled”) which is understood as means
  12. 1 Peter 1:14 This is an understood repetition of the earlier verb “be conformed to”
  13. 1 Peter 1:16 Here the verb is understood in Greek and is supplied in the translation
  14. 1 Peter 1:16 A quotation from Lev 19:2
  15. 1 Peter 1:16 Some manuscripts explicitly state “I am holy”
  16. 1 Peter 1:18 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal
  17. 1 Peter 1:22 Some manuscripts have “from a pure heart”
  18. 1 Peter 1:23 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have been born again”) which is understood as causal
  19. 1 Peter 1:25 Literally “for the age”
  20. 1 Peter 1:25 A quotation from Isa 40:6, 8