¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, ^(A)who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good ^(B)hope through grace,

For God So Loved the World

¹⁶ “For ^(A)God so loved ^(B)the world,^{[a] (C)}that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not ^(D)perish but have eternal life.

² Through him we have also ^(A)obtained access by faith^[a] into this grace ^(B)in which we stand, and ^(C)we^[b] rejoice^[c] in hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only that, but we ^(D)rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering ^(E)produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and ^(F)hope does not put us to shame, because God's love ^(G)has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Born Again to a Living Hope

^3 (A)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! ^(B)According to his great mercy, ^(C)he has caused us to be born again to a living hope ^(D)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to ^(E)an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and ^(F)unfading, ^(G)kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God's power are being guarded ^(H)through faith for a salvation ^(I)ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by ^(J)various trials, ⁷ so that ^(K)the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes ^(L)though it is tested by ^(M)fire—may be found to result in ^(N)praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ^8 (O)Though you have not seen him, you love him. ^(P)Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,

⁴ But when ^(A)the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, ^(B)not because of works done by us in righteousness, but ^(C)according to his own mercy, by ^(D)the washing of regeneration and ^(E)renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he ^(F)poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that ^(G)being justified by his grace we might become ^(H)heirs ^(I)according to the hope of eternal life.

^2 (A)in hope of eternal life, which God, ^(B)who never lies, ^(C)promised ^(D)before the ages began^[a]

¹¹ Now may ^(A)our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, ^(B)direct our way to you,

²⁴ For ^(A)in this hope we were saved. Now ^(B)hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we ^(C)wait for it with patience.

⁵ and from Jesus Christ ^(A)the faithful witness, ^(B)the firstborn of the dead, and ^(C)the ruler of kings on earth.

To ^(D)him who loves us and ^(E)has freed us from our sins by his blood