Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

A Living Hope

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

To those who reside as ^(B)exiles, ^(C)scattered throughout ^(D)Pontus, ^(E)Galatia, ^(F)Cappadocia, ^(G)Asia, and ^(H)Bithynia, ^(I)who are chosen ² according to the ^(J)foreknowledge of God the Father, ^(K)by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to the ^(L)obedience of Jesus Christ and the ^(M)sprinkling of His blood: ^(N)May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

^3 (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, ⁴ to obtain an ^(T)inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and ^(U)unfading, having been ^(V)kept in heaven for you, ⁵ 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. ^6 (AA)In this you greatly rejoice, even though now ^(AB)for a little while, ^(AC)if necessary, you have been grieved by ^(AD)various ^[a]trials, ⁷ so that the ^[b](AE)proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which ^[c]is perishable, ^(AF)even though tested by fire, ^(AG)may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at ^(AH)the revelation of Jesus Christ. ⁸ 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 rejoice with joy inexpressible and ^[d]full of glory, ⁹ receiving as ^(AK)the outcome of your faith the salvation of ^[e]your souls.

^10 (AL)Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who ^(AM)prophesied of the ^(AN)grace that would come to you, made careful searches and inquiries, ^11 [f]inquiring to know what time or what kind of time ^(AO)the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He was ^(AP)predicting 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 declared to you through those who ^(AQ)proclaimed the gospel to you by ^(AR)the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which ^(AS)angels long to ^[h]look.

¹³ Therefore, having ^[i](AT)girded your minds for action, ^[j](AU)being sober in spirit, fix your ^(AV)hope completely on the ^(AW)grace ^[k]to be brought to you at ^(AX)the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As ^[l](AY)obedient children, not ^[m](AZ)being conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ^(BA)ignorance, ¹⁵ but ^[n](BB)like the Holy One who called you, ^[o](BC)be holy yourselves also ^(BD)in all your conduct; ¹⁶ because it is written, “^(BE)You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

¹⁷ And if you ^(BF)address as Father the One who ^(BG)impartially ^(BH)judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves ^[p](BI)in fear during the time of your ^(BJ)sojourn, ¹⁸ knowing that you were not ^[q](BK)redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your ^(BL)futile conduct inherited from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with precious ^(BM)blood, as of a ^(BN)lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. ²⁰ He was ^(BO)foreknown before ^(BP)the foundation of the world, but ^(BQ)appeared ^[r]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)in obedience to the truth ^(BW)purified your souls for a love of the brothers ^(BX)without hypocrisy, fervently love one another from ^[s]the heart, ²³ for you have been ^(BY)born again ^(BZ)not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, that is, through the living and enduring ^(CA)word of God. ²⁴ For,

And this is ^(CD)the word which was ^[t]proclaimed to you as good news.

As Living Stones, God’s Chosen Family

2 Therefore, ^(CE)laying aside all ^[u]malice and all deceit and ^[v]hypocrisy and ^[w]envy and all ^[x](CF)slander, ^2 (CG)like newborn babies, long for the ^[y](CH)pure ^[z]milk of the word, so that by it you may ^(CI)grow ^[aa]in respect to salvation, ³ if you have ^(CJ)tasted ^[ab](CK)the kindness of the ^[ac]Lord.

⁴ And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been ^(CL)rejected by men, but is ^[ad]choice and precious in the sight of God, ^5 (CM)you also, as living stones, ^[ae]are being built up as a ^(CN)spiritual house for a holy ^(CO)priesthood, to ^(CP)offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For this is contained in ^[af]Scripture:

^7 (CS)This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,

⁸ and,

^(CW)They stumble because they are disobedient to the word, ^(CX)and to this stumbling they were also appointed.

⁹ But you are ^(CY)a chosen family, a royal ^(CZ)priesthood, a ^(DA)holy nation, ^(DB)a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you ^(DC)out of darkness into His marvelous light; ^10 (DD)for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

^11 (DE)Beloved, ^(DF)I urge you as ^(DG)sojourners and exiles to abstain from ^(DH)fleshly lusts which wage ^(DI)war against the soul, ^12 (DJ)by keeping your conduct excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing which they ^(DK)slander you as evildoers, they may ^[ah]because of your good works, as they observe them, ^(DL)glorify God ^(DM)in the day of ^[ai]visitation.

Be Subject to Authority

^13 (DN)Be subject for the sake of the Lord to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent ^[aj]by him ^(DO)for the punishment of evildoers and the ^(DP)praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For ^[ak](DQ)such is the will of God that by doing good you may ^(DR)silence the ignorance of foolish men. ¹⁶ Act as ^(DS)free people, and ^[al]do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as ^(DT)slaves of God. ^17 (DU)Honor all people, ^(DV)love the ^[am]brethren, ^(DW)fear God, ^(DX)honor the ^[an]king.

^18 (DY)Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to those who are good and ^(DZ)considerate, but also to those who are ^[ao]crooked. ¹⁹ For this finds ^[ap]favor, if for the sake of ^(EA)conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unrighteously. ²⁰ For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure? But if ^(EB)when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this finds favor with God.

Christ, Our Example

²¹ For to this ^(EC)you have been called, ^(ED)since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you ^(EE)an example that you should follow in His steps, ²² who ^(EF)did no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; ²³ who being ^(EG)reviled, was not reviling in return; while suffering, He was uttering no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. ²⁴ Who Himself ^[aq](EH)bore our sins in His body on the ^(EI)tree, so that ^(EJ)having died to ^[ar]sin, we might live to righteousness; ^(EK)by His ^[as]wounds you were ^(EL)healed. ²⁵ For you were ^(EM)continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the ^(EN)Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Wives and Husbands

3 ^(EO)In the same way, you wives, ^(EP)be subject to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be ^(EQ)won without a word by the conduct of their wives, ² as they observe your pure conduct with fear. ^3 (ER)Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on garments; ⁴ but let it be ^(ES)the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible quality of a lowly and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. ⁵ For in this way in former times the holy women also, ^(ET)who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands, ⁶ just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, ^(EU)calling him lord. You have become her children if you do good, ^[at](EV)not fearing any intimidation.

^7 (EW)You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker ^(EX)vessel, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.