Submit Yourselves to God

4 What causes fights and quarrels^(A) among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle^(B) within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill.^(C) You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive,^(D) because you ask with wrong motives,^(E) that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

⁴ You adulterous^(F) people,^[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world^(G) means enmity against God?^(H) Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.^{(I) 5} Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us^[b]?^{(J) 6} But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,^(L) and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you.^(M) Wash your hands,^(N) you sinners, and purify your hearts,^(O) you double-minded.^{(P) 9} Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.^{(Q) 10} Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.^(R)

¹¹ Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.^(S) Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister^[d] or judges them^(T) speaks against the law^(U) and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,^(V) but sitting in judgment on it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge,^(W) the one who is able to save and destroy.^(X) But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?^(Y)

Boasting About Tomorrow

¹³ Now listen,^(Z) you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”^{(AA) 14} Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.^{(AB) 15} Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will,^(AC) we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.^{(AD) 17} If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.^(AE)

Warning to Rich Oppressors

5 Now listen,^(AF) you rich people,^(AG) weep and wail^(AH) because of the misery that is coming on you. ² Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.^{(AI) 3} Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.^{(AJ) 4} Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers^(AK) who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries^(AL) of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.^{(AM) 5} You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves^(AN) in the day of slaughter.^{[e](AO) 6} You have condemned and murdered^(AP) the innocent one,^(AQ) who was not opposing you.

Patience in Suffering

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.^(AR) See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting^(AS) for the autumn and spring rains.^{(AT) 8} You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming^(AU) is near.^{(AV) 9} Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters,^(AW) or you will be judged. The Judge^(AX) is standing at the door!^(AY)

¹⁰ Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets^(AZ) who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ As you know, we count as blessed^(BA) those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance^(BB) and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.^(BC) The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.^(BD)

¹² Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.^(BE)

The Prayer of Faith

¹³ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.^(BF) Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.^{(BG) 14} Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders^(BH) of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil^(BI) in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith^(BJ) will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins^(BK) to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.^(BL) The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.^(BM)

¹⁷ Elijah was a human being, even as we are.^(BN) He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.^{(BO) 18} Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.^(BP)

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth^(BQ) and someone should bring that person back,^{(BR) 20} remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save^(BS) them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.^(BT)

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,^(BU)

To God’s elect,^(BV) exiles^(BW) scattered^(BX) throughout the provinces of Pontus,^(BY) Galatia,^(BZ) Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,^{(CA) 2} who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge^(CB) of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,^(CC) to be obedient^(CD) to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:^(CE)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.^(CF)

Praise to God for a Living Hope

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!^(CG) In his great mercy^(CH) he has given us new birth^(CI) into a living hope^(CJ) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,^{(CK) 4} and into an inheritance^(CL) that can never perish, spoil or fade.^(CM) This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,^{(CN) 5} who through faith are shielded by God’s power^(CO) until the coming of the salvation^(CP) that is ready to be revealed^(CQ) in the last time. ⁶ In all this you greatly rejoice,^(CR) though now for a little while^(CS) you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.^{(CT) 7} These have come so that the proven genuineness^(CU) of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire^(CV)—may result in praise, glory and honor^(CW) when Jesus Christ is revealed.^{(CX) 8} Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him^(CY) and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.^(CZ)

¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke^(DA) of the grace that was to come to you,^(DB) searched intently and with the greatest care,^{(DC) 11} trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ^(DD) in them was pointing when he predicted^(DE) the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,^(DF) when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you^(DG) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.^(DH) Even angels long to look into these things.

Be Holy

¹³ Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,^(DI) set your hope^(DJ) on the grace to be brought to you^(DK) when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.^{(DL) 14} As obedient^(DM) children, do not conform^(DN) to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.^{(DO) 15} But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;^{(DP) 16} for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”^[f](DQ)

¹⁷ Since you call on a Father^(DR) who judges each person’s work^(DS) impartially,^(DT) live out your time as foreigners^(DU) here in reverent fear.^{(DV) 18} For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed^(DW) from the empty way of life^(DX) handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood^(DY) of Christ, a lamb^(DZ) without blemish or defect.^{(EA) 20} He was chosen before the creation of the world,^(EB) but was revealed in these last times^(EC) for your sake. ²¹ Through him you believe in God,^(ED) who raised him from the dead^(EE) and glorified him,^(EF) and so your faith and hope^(EG) are in God.

²² Now that you have purified^(EH) yourselves by obeying^(EI) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,^(EJ) from the heart.^{[g] 23} For you have been born again,^(EK) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,^(EL) through the living and enduring word of God.^{(EM) 24} For,

And this is the word that was preached to you.

2 Therefore, rid yourselves^(EO) of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander^(EP) of every kind. ² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,^(EQ) so that by it you may grow up^(ER) in your salvation, ³ now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.^(ES)

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone^(ET)—rejected by humans but chosen by God^(EU) and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built^(EV) into a spiritual house^[i](EW) to be a holy priesthood,^(EX) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.^{(EY) 6} For in Scripture it says:

⁷ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,^(FB)

⁸ and,

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.^(FF)

⁹ But you are a chosen people,^(FG) a royal priesthood,^(FH) a holy nation,^(FI) God’s special possession,^(FJ) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.^{(FK) 10} Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;^(FL) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹ Dear friends,^(FM) I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,^(FN) to abstain from sinful desires,^(FO) which wage war against your soul.^{(FP) 12} Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds^(FQ) and glorify God^(FR) on the day he visits us.

¹³ Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:^(FS) whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴ or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong^(FT) and to commend those who do right.^{(FU) 15} For it is God’s will^(FV) that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.^{(FW) 16} Live as free people,^(FX) but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;^(FY) live as God’s slaves.^{(FZ) 17} Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers,^(GA) fear God, honor the emperor.^(GB)

¹⁸ Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters,^(GC) not only to those who are good and considerate,^(GD) but also to those who are harsh. ¹⁹ For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.^{(GE) 20} But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.^{(GF) 21} To this^(GG) you were called,^(GH) because Christ suffered for you,^(GI) leaving you an example,^(GJ) that you should follow in his steps.

²³ When they hurled their insults at him,^(GM) he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.^(GN) Instead, he entrusted himself^(GO) to him who judges justly.^{(GP) 24} “He himself bore our sins”^(GQ) in his body on the cross,^(GR) so that we might die to sins^(GS) and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”^{(GT) 25} For “you were like sheep going astray,”^[n](GU) but now you have returned to the Shepherd^(GV) and Overseer of your souls.^(GW)