¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,^(A) who loved us^(B) and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,

¹⁶ For God so loved^(A) the world that he gave^(B) his one and only Son,^(C) that whoever believes^(D) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.^(E)

⁴ But when the kindness^(A) and love of God our Savior^(B) appeared,^{(C) 5} he saved us,^(D) not because of righteous things we had done,^(E) but because of his mercy.^(F) He saved us through the washing^(G) of rebirth and renewal^(H) by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us^(I) generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace,^(J) we might become heirs^(K) having the hope^(L) of eternal life.^(M)

² through whom we have gained access^(A) by faith into this grace in which we now stand.^(B) And we^[a] boast in the hope^(C) of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we^[b] also glory in our sufferings,^(D) because we know that suffering produces perseverance;^{(E) 4} perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope^(F) does not put us to shame, because God’s love^(G) has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,^(H) who has been given to us.

Praise to God for a Living Hope

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