Beginning

1 Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen men, to the comelings of scattering abroad [to the chosen comelings of dispersion, or scattering abroad], of Pontus, of Galatia, of Cappadocia, of Asia, and of Bithynia,

² by the before-knowing of God, the Father, in hallowing of Spirit, by obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace and peace be multiplied to you. [after the prescience of God, the Father, into hallowing of the Spirit, into obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace and peace to you be multiplied.]

³ Blessed be God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which by his great mercy [which after his great mercy] begat us again into living hope, by the again-rising of Jesus Christ from death [by the again-rising of Jesus Christ from dead],

⁴ into heritage uncorruptible, and undefouled, and that shall not fade, that is kept in heavens for you [kept in heavens for you],

⁵ that in the virtue of God be kept by the faith into health, and is ready to be showed in the last time [made ready to be showed in the last time].

⁶ In which ye shall make joy, though it behooveth now a little to be sorry in diverse temptations;

⁷ that the proving of your faith be much more precious than gold, that is proved by fire; and be found into praising, and glory, and honour, in the revelation of Jesus Christ.

⁸ Whom when ye have not seen, ye love; into whom also now ye not seeing, believe; but ye that believe shall have joy, and gladness that may not be told out, and ye shall be glorified [forsooth ye believing shall have joy withoutforth in gladness unnarrable, that is, that may not be told out, and glorified],

⁹ and have the end of your faith, the health of your souls. [bringing again the end of your faith, the health of your souls.]

¹⁰ Of which health prophets sought, and searched into, that prophesied of the grace to coming in you, [Of which health prophets sought out, and ensearched, that prophesied of the grace to come into you,]

¹¹ and sought which either what manner time the Spirit of Christ signified in them, and before-told those passions, that be in Christ, and the latter glories. [seeking which or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ signified in them, before-telling the passions, that be in Christ, and the latter glories.]

¹² To which it was showed [To whom it is showed], for not to themselves, but to you they ministered those things, that now be told to you by them that preached to you [that now be told to you by them that evangelized to you] by the Holy Ghost sent from heaven, into whom angels desire to behold.

¹³ For which thing be ye gird the loins of your soul, sober, perfect, and hope ye into that grace that is proffered to you by the showing of Jesus Christ [and hope ye into that grace that is offered to you by the revelation, or showing, of Jesus Christ],

¹⁴ as sons of obedience, not made like to the former desires of your unknowingness, [as sons of obedience, not together likened to the former desires of your ignorance,]

¹⁵ but like him that hath called you holy; that also ye self be holy in all living [that and yourselves be holy in all living];

¹⁶ for it is written, Ye shall be holy, for I am holy.

¹⁷ And if ye inwardly call him Father, which deemeth without acception of persons by the work of each man [the which without acception of persons deemeth after the work of each man], live ye in dread in the time of your pilgrimage [in earth];

¹⁸ witting that not by corruptible gold, either silver [or silver], ye be bought again of your vain living of fathers' tradition,

¹⁹ but by the precious blood as of the lamb undefouled and unspotted, Christ Jesus,

²⁰ that was known before the making of the world, but he is showed in the last times, for you

²¹ that by him be faithful in God; that raised him from death [that raised him from dead men], and gave to him everlasting glory, that your faith and hope were in God.

²² And make ye chaste your souls in obedience of charity [Ye making chaste your souls in obedience of charity], in love of brotherhood; of simple heart love ye together more busily.

²³ And be ye born again, not of corruptible seed, but [of] uncorruptible, by the word of living God, and dwelling into without end.

²⁴ For each flesh is hay, and all the glory of it is as the flower of hay; the hay dried up, and his flower felled down^[a];

²⁵ but the word of the Lord dwelleth without end [into without end]. And this is the word, that is preached to you [Soothly this is the word, that is evangelized to you].

2 Therefore put ye away all malice, and all guile, and feignings, and envies, and all backbitings; [Therefore putting away all malice, and all guile, and simulations, or feignings, and envies, and all detractions;]

² as now born young children, reasonable, without guile, covet ye milk [of full teaching], that in it ye wax into health;

³ if nevertheless ye have tasted, that the Lord is sweet.

⁴ And approach ye to him, that is a living stone, and reproved of men [To whom ye going nigh, a quick stone, reproved soothly of men], but chosen of God, and honoured;

⁵ and yourselves as quick stones be ye above builded [and yourselves as quick stones be above builded] into spiritual houses, and an holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

⁶ For which thing the scripture saith, Lo! I shall set in Sion the highest corner stone, chosen and precious [For which thing the scripture holdeth, Lo! I shall put in Sion the highest stone, a corner stone, chosen, precious]; and he that shall believe in him, shall not be confounded.

⁷ Therefore honour to you that believe; but to men that believe not, the stone whom the builders reproved, this is made into the head of the corner;

⁸ and the stone of hurting, and the stone of stumbling, to them that offend to the word, neither believe it, in which they be set.^[b]

⁹ But ye be a chosen kin, a kingly priesthood, holy folk, a people of purchasing, that ye tell the virtues of him, that called you from darknesses into his wonderful light.

¹⁰ Which sometime were not a people of God, but now ye be the people of God; which had not mercy, but now ye have mercy.

¹¹ Most dear, I beseech you, as comelings and pilgrims, to abstain you from fleshly desires, that fight against the soul;

¹² and have ye your conversation good among heathen men [having your conversation, or life, good among heathen men], that in that thing that they backbite of you, as of misdoers, they behold you of good works, and glorify God in the day of visitation.

¹³ Be ye subject to each creature of man, for God; either to the king, as to him that is higher in state [as precellent, or more worthy in state],

¹⁴ either to dukes, as to those that be sent of him to the vengeance of misdoers, and to the praising of good men [forsooth to the praising of good deeds, or good men].

¹⁵ For so is the will of God, that ye do well, and make the unknowingness of unprudent men to be dumb. [For so is the will of God, that ye doing well, make the unknowingness of unwise men to be dumb.]

¹⁶ As free men, and not as having freedom the covering of malice, but as the servants of God.

¹⁷ Honour ye all men, love ye brotherhood, dread ye God, honour ye the king.

¹⁸ Servants, be ye subject in all dread to lords, not only to good and to mild [not only to good and mild], but also to tyrants.

¹⁹ For this is grace, if for conscience of God any man suffereth heavinesses, and suffereth unjustly. [Forsooth this is grace, if for conscience of God any man suffereth sorrows, or heavinesses, suffering unjustly.]

²⁰ For what grace is it, if ye sin, and be buffeted, and suffer? But if ye do well, and suffer patiently, this is grace with God.

²¹ For to this thing ye be called. For also Christ suffered for us, and left ensample to you [leaving to you example], that ye follow the steps of him.

²² Which did not sin, neither guile was found in his mouth.

²³ And when he was cursed, he cursed not [Which, when he was cursed, cursed not]; when he suffered, he menaced not; but he betook himself to him, that deemed him unjustly.

²⁴ And he himself bare our sins in his body on a tree [Which he himself suffered, or bare, our sins in his body on the tree], that we be dead to sins, and live to rightwiseness, by whose wan wound ye be healed.

²⁵ For ye were as sheep erring, but ye be now turned to the shepherd, and bishop of your souls.

3 Also women be they subject to their husbands; that if any man believe not to the word^[c], by the conversation of women they be won without word.

² And behold ye in dread your holy conversation.

³ Of whom be there not withoutforth curious adorning of hair, either doing about of gold, either adorning of clothing; [Of which be not withoutforth curious adorning of hair, or doing about of gold, or adorning of clothing of vestments;]

⁴ but that that is the hid man of heart, in uncorruption, and of mild spirit [in uncorruptibility of quiet and mild spirit], which is rich in the sight of God.

⁵ For so sometime holy women hoping in God adorned themselves, and were subject to their own husbands.

⁶ As Sara obeyed to Abraham, and called him lord [calling him lord]; of whom ye be daughters well-doing, and not dreading any perturbation.

⁷ Also men dwell together, and by knowing give ye honour to the woman's frailty, as to the more feeble, and as to even-heirs of grace and of life, that your prayers be not hindered. [Also men together dwelling, after science, or knowing, giving honour to the woman's vessel, or body, as to the more sick, as and to even-heirs of grace of life, that your prayers be not letted.]

⁸ And in faith all of one will, in prayer be ye each suffering with other, lovers of brotherhood, merciful, mild, meek; [Forsooth in faith all of one understanding, or will, in prayer be ye compassionate, or each suffering with other, lovers of fraternity, merciful, mild, meek;]

⁹ not yielding evil for evil, neither cursing for cursing, but on the contrary blessing; for in this thing ye be called, that ye wield blessing by heritage.

¹⁰ For he that will love life, and see good days, constrain his tongue from evil, and his lips, that they speak not guile [that they speak no guile].

¹¹ And bow he from evil, and do good; seek he peace, and perfectly follow it [and perfectly sue it].

¹² For the eyes of the Lord be on just men, and his ears on the prayers of them; but the face of the Lord is on men that do evils [forsooth the cheer of the Lord is on men doing evils].

¹³ And who is it that shall harm you, if ye be followers and lovers of goodness [if ye shall be good followers]?

¹⁴ But also if ye suffer any thing for rightwiseness, ye be blessed; but dread ye not the dread of them, that ye be not disturbed.^[d]

¹⁵ But hallow ye the Lord Christ in your hearts, and evermore be ye ready to [do] satisfaction to each man asking you reason of that faith and hope that is in you, but with mildness and dread,

¹⁶ having good conscience; that in that thing that they backbite of you, they be confounded, which challenge falsely your good conversation in Christ.

¹⁷ For it is better that ye do well, and suffer, if the will of God will, than doing evil. [Soothly it is better, if the will of God will, ye well-doing, to suffer, than evil-doing.]

¹⁸ For also Christ once died for our sins, he just for unjust, that he should offer to God us [that he should offer us to God], made dead in flesh, but made quick in Spirit.

¹⁹ For which thing he came in Spirit, and also to them that were closed together in prison;

²⁰ which were sometime unbelieveful, when they abided the patience of God in the days of Noah, when the ship was made [when the ark, or ship, was made], in which a few, that is to say, eight souls were made safe by water.

²¹ And so baptism of like form maketh us safe [The which thing and baptism of like form maketh us safe]; not the putting away of the filths of flesh, but the asking of a good conscience in God, by the again-rising of our Lord Jesus Christ,

²² that is in the right half of God, and swalloweth death [he swallowing death], that we should be made heirs of everlasting life. He went into heaven [He gone into heaven], and angels, and powers, and virtues, be made subject to him.

4 Therefore for Christ suffered in flesh, be ye also armed by the same thinking; for he that suffered in flesh ceased from sins,

² that that is left now of time in flesh live not now to the desires of men, but to the will of God. [that he live not now to the desires of men, but to the will of God, that that is more of time in flesh.]

³ For the time that is passed [Soothly the time passed] is enough to the will of heathen men to be ended, which walked in lecheries, and lusts, in much drinking of wine, in unmeasurable eatings [in oft eatings], and drinkings, and unleaveful worshipping of maumets [and unleaveful worshippings of idols].

⁴ In which now they be astonished, in which thing they wonder, for ye run not together into the same confusion of lechery, and blaspheme [blaspheming].

⁵ And they shall give reason to him, that is ready to deem the quick and the dead.

⁶ For why for this thing it is preached also to dead men, that they be deemed by men in flesh, and that they live by God in spirit.^[e]

⁷ For the end of all things shall approach [Forsooth the end of all things shall nigh]. Therefore be ye prudent, and wake ye in prayers;

⁸ before all things have ye charity each to other in yourselves always [all-gates] lasting; for charity covereth the multitude of sins.

⁹ Hold ye hospitality together without grudging [without grutching];

¹⁰ each man as he hath received grace, ministering it into each other [ministering each to other], as good dispensers of the manifold grace of God.

¹¹ If any man speaketh, speak he as the words of God; if any man ministereth, as of the virtue which God ministereth; that God be honoured in all things by Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom is glory and lordship into worlds of worlds. Amen.

¹² Most dear brethren, do not ye go in pilgrimage in fervor, that is made to you to temptation [Most dear, do not ye go in pilgrimage in fervor, that is made to you into temptation], as if any new thing befall to you;

¹³ but commune ye with the passions of Christ, and have ye joy, that also ye be glad, and have joy in the revelation of his glory. [but ye communing to the passions of Christ, have joy, that and ye gladding withoutforth, have joy in the revelation of his glory.]

¹⁴ If ye be despised for the name of Christ, ye shall be blessed; for that that is of the honour, and of the glory, and of the virtue of God, and the Spirit that is his, shall rest on you [for that that is of the glory and virtue of God, and the Spirit that is his, resteth on you].

¹⁵ But no man of you suffer as a manslayer, either a thief, either curser, either a desirer of other men's goods; [Forsooth no man of you suffer as a manslayer, or a thief, or curser, or desirer of other men's things;]

¹⁶ but if he suffer as a christian man, shame he not, but glorify he God in this name.

¹⁷ For time is, that doom begin at God's house [For time is, that doom begin of God's house]; and if it begin first at us, what end shall be of them, that believe not to the gospel?

¹⁸ And if a just man scarcely shall be saved, where shall the unfaithful man and the sinner appear [where shall the unpious man and sinner appear]?

¹⁹ Therefore and they that suffer by the will of God [And so, and they that suffer after the will of God], betake their souls in good deeds to the faithful maker of nought.

5 Therefore I, an even-elder man, and a witness of Christ's passions, which also am a communer of that glory, that shall be showed in time to come; beseech the elder men, that be among you,^[f]

² feed ye the flock of God, that is among you, and purvey ye, not as constrained, but willfully, by God [purveying not constrainingly, but willfully, after God]; not for love of foul winning, but willfully,

³ neither as having lordship in the clergy, but that ye be made ensample to the flock, of will.^[g]

⁴ And when the prince of shepherds shall appear, ye shall receive the crown of glory, that may never fade [that shall never fade].

⁵ Also, ye young men, be ye subject to elder men, and all show ye together meekness^[h]; for the Lord withstandeth proud men, but he giveth grace to meek men.

⁶ Therefore be ye meeked under the mighty hand of God, that he raise you in the time of visitation [that he raise you in the day of visitation],

⁷ and cast ye all your busyness into him, for to him is care of you. [ye casting into him all your busyness, for to him is care of you.]

⁸ Be ye sober, and wake ye, for your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion goeth about, seeking whom he shall devour.

⁹ Whom against stand ye, strong in the faith, witting that the same passion is made to that brotherhood of you, that is in the world [witting the same passion to be done to that your brotherhood, that is in the world].

¹⁰ And God of all grace, that called you into his everlasting glory, you suffering a little [in Christ Jesus], he shall perform, and shall confirm, and shall make firm [he shall perform, shall confirm, and shall make firm].

¹¹ To him be glory and lordship, into worlds of worlds. Amen.

¹² By Silvanus, [a] faithful brother to you as I deem, I wrote shortly; beseeching, and witnessing that this is the very grace of God, in which ye stand.

¹³ The church that is gathered in Babylon, and Marcus, my son, greeteth you well. [The church that is gathered at Babylon greeteth you well, and Marcus, my son.]

¹⁴ Greet ye well together in holy kiss. Grace be to you all that be in Christ. Amen.