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Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,
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who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
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Praise to God for a Living Hope
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
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who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
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These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
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Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
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Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.
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For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
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The Living Stone and a Chosen People
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—
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you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
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But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
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Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
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Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
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Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
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For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
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Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
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Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
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Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.
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For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.
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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.
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Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
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For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands,
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like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
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For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
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For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
