THE FIRST LETTER OF
PETER
1
Greeting
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the sojourners scattered abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen
2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be multiplied to you.
A Living Hope
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who by the power of God are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials
7 so that the proven character of your faith—far more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire—may result in praise, honor, and glory when Jesus Christ is revealed.
8 Although you once did not know him, you love him; although you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with an unspeakable and glorious joy,
9 because you are receiving the end result of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated,
11 inquiring about the time and circumstances that the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified in advance to the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.
Be Holy
13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
14 As children of obedience, do not conform yourselves to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
15 But just as he who called you is holy, you also must be holy in all your conduct,
16 for it is written, “Be holy, because I am holy.”
17 If you call on the Father who judges without partiality according to each person's work, pass the time of your sojourn in reverent fear.
18 For you know that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake.
21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope might be in God.
22 Since you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth through the Spirit, resulting in genuine brotherly love, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.
23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the word of God that lives and abides forever.
24 For,
“All flesh is like grass,
and all the glory of man is like a flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and its flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
This word is the good news that was preached to you.