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Greetings

From:[a] Peter, an apostle of Jesus, the Messiah.[b]

To: The exiles of the Dispersion[c] in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, the people chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying action of the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus, the Messiah,[d] and to be sprinkled with his blood.

May grace and peace be yours in abundance!

Our Hope and Joy are in the Messiah

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah![e] Because of his great mercy he has granted us a new birth, resulting in an immortal hope through the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah,[f] from the dead and to an inheritance kept in heaven for you that can’t be destroyed, corrupted, or changed. Through faith you are being protected by God’s power for a salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of this era. You greatly rejoice in this, even though you have to suffer various kinds of trials for a little while, so that your genuine faith, which is more valuable than gold that perishes when tested by fire, may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus, the Messiah,[g] is revealed.

Though you have not seen[h] him, you love him. And even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Even the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours, carefully researched and investigated this salvation. 11 They tried to find out what era or specific time the Spirit of the Messiah[i] in them kept referring to when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah[j] 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 by those who brought you the good news through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. These are things that even the angels desire to look into.

Be Holy

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep a clear head, and set your hope completely on the grace to be given you when Jesus, the Messiah,[k] is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not be shaped by the desires that used to influence you when you were ignorant. 15 Instead, be holy in every aspect of your life, just as the one who called you is holy. 16 For it is written, “You must be holy, because I am holy.”[l]

17 If you call “Father” the one who judges everyone impartially according to what they have done, you must live in reverent fear as long as you are strangers in a strange land. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things like silver or gold that you have been ransomed from the worthless way of life handed down to you by your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of the Messiah,[m] like that of a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 On the one hand, he was foreknown before the creation[n] of the world, but on the other hand, he was revealed at the end of time 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.

Love One Another

22 Now that you have obeyed the truth[o] and have purified your souls to love your brothers sincerely, you must love one another intensely and with a pure heart. 23 For you have been born again, not by a seed that perishes but by one that cannot perish—by the living and everlasting word of God.[p] 24 For

“All human life[q] is like grass,
    and all its glory is like a flower in the grass.
The grass dries up and the flower drops off,
25 but the word of the Lord[r] lasts forever.”[s]

Now this word is the good news that was announced to you.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 1:1 The Gk. lacks From
  2. 1 Peter 1:1 Or Christ
  3. 1 Peter 1:1 Or Diaspora; i.e. the Jewish communities outside the land of Israel
  4. 1 Peter 1:2 Or Christ
  5. 1 Peter 1:3 Or Christ
  6. 1 Peter 1:3 Or Christ
  7. 1 Peter 1:7 Or Christ
  8. 1 Peter 1:8 Other mss. read known
  9. 1 Peter 1:11 Or Christ
  10. 1 Peter 1:11 Or Christ
  11. 1 Peter 1:13 Or Christ
  12. 1 Peter 1:16 Cf. Lev 11:44-45; Lev 19:2
  13. 1 Peter 1:19 Or Christ
  14. 1 Peter 1:20 Or foundation
  15. 1 Peter 1:22 Other mss. read the truth through the Spirit
  16. 1 Peter 1:23 Or by the word of the living and everlasting God
  17. 1 Peter 1:24 Lit. all flesh
  18. 1 Peter 1:25 MT source citation reads Lord
  19. 1 Peter 1:25 Cf. Isa 40:6-8

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,(A)

To God’s elect,(B) exiles(C) scattered(D) throughout the provinces of Pontus,(E) Galatia,(F) Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,(G) who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge(H) of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,(I) to be obedient(J) to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:(K)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.(L)

Praise to God for a Living Hope

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!(M) In his great mercy(N) he has given us new birth(O) into a living hope(P) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,(Q) and into an inheritance(R) that can never perish, spoil or fade.(S) This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,(T) who through faith are shielded by God’s power(U) until the coming of the salvation(V) that is ready to be revealed(W) in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice,(X) though now for a little while(Y) you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.(Z) These have come so that the proven genuineness(AA) of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire(AB)—may result in praise, glory and honor(AC) when Jesus Christ is revealed.(AD) Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him(AE) and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.(AF)

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke(AG) of the grace that was to come to you,(AH) searched intently and with the greatest care,(AI) 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ(AJ) in them was pointing when he predicted(AK) the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,(AL) when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you(AM) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.(AN) Even angels long to look into these things.

Be Holy

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,(AO) set your hope(AP) on the grace to be brought to you(AQ) when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.(AR) 14 As obedient(AS) children, do not conform(AT) to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.(AU) 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;(AV) 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”[a](AW)

17 Since you call on a Father(AX) who judges each person’s work(AY) impartially,(AZ) live out your time as foreigners(BA) here in reverent fear.(BB) 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed(BC) from the empty way of life(BD) handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood(BE) of Christ, a lamb(BF) without blemish or defect.(BG) 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world,(BH) but was revealed in these last times(BI) for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God,(BJ) who raised him from the dead(BK) and glorified him,(BL) and so your faith and hope(BM) are in God.

22 Now that you have purified(BN) yourselves by obeying(BO) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,(BP) from the heart.[b] 23 For you have been born again,(BQ) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,(BR) through the living and enduring word of God.(BS) 24 For,

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25     but the word of the Lord endures forever.”[c](BT)

And this is the word that was preached to you.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 1:16 Lev. 11:44,45; 19:2
  2. 1 Peter 1:22 Some early manuscripts from a pure heart
  3. 1 Peter 1:25 Isaiah 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)