Salutation to Scattered Strangers
1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers ascattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2bElect caccording to the foreknowledge of God the Father, dthrough sanctification of the Spirit, unto eobedience and fsprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: gGrace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
An Incorruptible Inheritance
3hBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which iaccording to his abundant mercy jhath begotten us again unto a lively hope kby the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, lreserved in heaven for you,
5mWho are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6nWherein ye greatly rejoice, though now ofor a season, if need be, pye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7That qthe trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though rit be tried with fire, smight be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8tWhom having not seen, ye love; uin whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
10Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
11Searching what, or what manner of time vthe Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
12Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the wangels desire to look into.
Without Spot or Blemish
13Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14As obedient children, not xfashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15yBut as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16Because it is written, zBe ye holy; for I am holy.
17And if ye call on the Father, who awithout respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19But bwith the precious blood of Christ, cas of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20dWho verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest ein these last times for you,
21Who by him do believe in God, fthat raised him up from the dead, and ggave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
The Word of the Lord Endures Forever
22Seeing ye hhave purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned ilove of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
23jBeing born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, kby the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24For lall flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25mBut the word of the Lord endureth for ever. nAnd this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Lay Aside All Evil
1Wherefore alaying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
2bAs newborn babes, desire the sincere cmilk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
3If so be ye have dtasted that the Lord is gracious.
An Holy Priesthood
4To whom coming, as unto a living stone, edisallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, fBehold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, gthe stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8hAnd a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, ieven to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: jwhereunto also they were appointed.
9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of kdarkness into his marvellous light:
10lWhich in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, mwhich war against the soul;
12nHaving your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, othey may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submission to Rulers
13pSubmit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
14Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
15For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16qAs free, and not rusing your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
17Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear sGod. Honour the king.
18tServants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
19For this is uthankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20For vwhat glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
21For weven hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, xleaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22yWho did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23zWho, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but acommitted himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24bWho his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, cthat we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: dby whose stripes ye were healed.
25For eye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned funto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Subjection in Marriage
1Likewise, aye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, bthey also may without the word cbe won by the conversation of the wives;
2dWhile they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
3eWhose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4But let it be fthe hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
5For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
6Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, gcalling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
7hLikewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, ias unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; jthat your prayers be not hindered.
Inheritance of a Blessing
8Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
9kNot rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise lblessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, mthat ye should inherit a blessing.
10For nhe that will love life, and see good days, olet him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
11Let him peschew evil, and do good; qlet him seek peace, and ensue it.
12For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, rand his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
13sAnd who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
14tBut and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: uand be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
15But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and vbe ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the whope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16xHaving a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
17For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
21yThe like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us z(not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, abut the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
22Who is gone into heaven, and bis on the right hand of God; cangels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Charity Among Yourselves
1Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
2That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, abut to the will of God.
3For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
4Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
5Who shall give account to him that is ready bto judge the quick and the dead.
6For for this cause cwas the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but dlive according to God in the spirit.
7But ethe end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
8And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for fcharity shall cover the multitude of sins.
9gUse hospitality one to another hwithout grudging.
10iAs every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, jas good stewards of kthe manifold grace of God.
11lIf any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that mGod in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Partakers of Christ’s Sufferings
12Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13But rejoice, ninasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, owhen his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, phappy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, qbut on your part he is glorified.
15But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
16Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17For the time is come rthat judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, swhat shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18And tif the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God ucommit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
Be Subject One to Another
1The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a awitness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the bglory that shall be revealed:
2cFeed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, dnot by constraint, but willingly; enot for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3Neither as fbeing lords over gGod’s heritage, but hbeing ensamples to the flock.
4And when ithe chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive ja crown of glory that fadeth not away.
5Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, kall of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for lGod resisteth the proud, and mgiveth grace to the humble.
6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10But the God of all grace, nwho hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
11oTo him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Peace in Jesus Christ
12By pSilvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying qthat this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
13The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth rMarcus my son.
14Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.