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 [fn]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, [fn]honor, and glory when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Although you [fn]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 [fn]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.