1 Peter 1-2

English Standard Version

Greeting

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who are elect exiles of ^(A)the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ² according to ^(B)the foreknowledge of God the Father, ^(C)in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and ^(D)for sprinkling with his blood:

May ^(E)grace and ^(F)peace be multiplied to you.

Born Again to a Living Hope

^3 (G)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! ^(H)According to his great mercy, ^(I)he has caused us to be born again to a living hope ^(J)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to ^(K)an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and ^(L)unfading, ^(M)kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God's power are being guarded ^(N)through faith for a salvation ^(O)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 ^(P)various trials, ⁷ so that ^(Q)the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes ^(R)though it is tested by ^(S)fire—may be found to result in ^(T)praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ^8 (U)Though you have not seen him, you love him. ^(V)Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹ obtaining ^(W)the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, ^(X)the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, ¹¹ inquiring ^(Y)what person or time^{[a] (Z)}the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating ^(AA)when he predicted ^(AB)the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. ^12 (AC)It was revealed to them that ^(AD)they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you ^(AE)by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, ^(AF)things into which angels long to look.

Called to Be Holy

¹³ Therefore, ^(AG)preparing your minds for action,^[b] and ^(AH)being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, ^(AI)do not be conformed to the passions ^(AJ)of your former ignorance, ¹⁵ but ^(AK)as he who called you is holy, you also be holy ^(AL)in all your conduct, ¹⁶ since it is written, ^(AM)“You shall be holy, for I am holy.” ¹⁷ And if you ^(AN)call on him as Father who ^(AO)judges ^(AP)impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves ^(AQ)with fear throughout the time of your exile, ¹⁸ knowing that you ^(AR)were ransomed from ^(AS)the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, ¹⁹ but ^(AT)with the precious blood of Christ, like that of ^(AU)a lamb ^(AV)without blemish or spot. ²⁰ He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but ^(AW)was made manifest ^(AX)in the last times for the sake of you ^21 (AY)who through him are believers in God, ^(AZ)who raised him from the dead and ^(BA)gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

²² Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for ^(BB)a sincere brotherly love, ^(BC)love one another earnestly from a pure heart, ^23 (BD)since you have been born again, ^(BE)not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through ^(BF)the living and abiding word of God; ²⁴ for

And this word ^(BI)is the good news that was preached to you.

A Living Stone and a Holy People

2 ^(BJ)So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. ^2 (BK)Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual ^(BL)milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— ³ if indeed you have ^(BM)tasted that the Lord is good.

⁴ As you come to him, a living stone ^(BN)rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, ^5 (BO)you yourselves like living stones are being built up as ^(BP)a spiritual house, to be ^(BQ)a holy priesthood, ^(BR)to offer spiritual sacrifices ^(BS)acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it stands in Scripture:

⁷ So the honor is for you who ^(BV)believe, but for those who ^(BW)do not believe,

⁸ and

They stumble because they disobey the word, ^(BZ)as they were destined to do.

⁹ But you are ^(CA)a chosen race, ^(CB)a royal ^(CC)priesthood, ^(CD)a holy nation, ^(CE)a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you ^(CF)out of darkness into ^(CG)his marvelous light. ^10 (CH)Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹ Beloved, I urge you ^(CI)as sojourners and exiles ^(CJ)to abstain from the passions of the flesh, ^(CK)which wage war against your soul. ^12 (CL)Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, ^(CM)they may see your good deeds and glorify God on ^(CN)the day of visitation.

Submission to Authority

^13 (CO)Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution,^[d] whether it be to the emperor^[e] as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him ^(CP)to punish those who do evil and ^(CQ)to praise those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, ^(CR)that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. ^16 (CS)Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but ^(CT)living as servants^[f] of God. ^17 (CU)Honor everyone. ^(CV)Love the brotherhood. ^(CW)Fear God. Honor the emperor.

^18 (CX)Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. ¹⁹ For this is a gracious thing, when, ^(CY)mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. ²⁰ For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But ^(CZ)if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. ²¹ For ^(DA)to this you have been called, ^(DB)because Christ also suffered for you, ^(DC)leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. ^22 (DD)He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. ^23 (DE)When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, ^(DF)but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. ^24 (DG)He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we ^(DH)might die to sin and ^(DI)live to righteousness. ^(DJ)By his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵ For ^(DK)you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to ^(DL)the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.