1 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you. 3 Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, begot us again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance imperishable, and undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are guarded by the power of God through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time; 6 wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a short time, if need be, made sorrowful by manifold trials, 7 that the proof of your faith, much more precious than gold which perisheth, but is tried with fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the manifestation of Jesus Christ; 8 whom, having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 Concerning which salvation the prophets sought earnestly and searched earnestly, who prophesied of the grace that was to come to you; 11 searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them signified, when it testified beforehand the sufferings to come upon Christ, and the glories that were to follow; 12 to whom it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to you, they were ministering the things, which have now been announced to you by them that have brought the glad tidings to you by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; which things angels desire to look into. 13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope undoubtingly for the grace that is to be brought to you at the manifestation of Jesus Christ; 14 as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts in your ignorance; 15 but as he who called you is holy, be ye also holy in all your conduct; 16 because it is written, “Ye shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if ye call him Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to each one's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear; 18 knowing that not with perishable things, silver or gold, were ye redeemed from your vain manner of life received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; 20 who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but manifested in these last times for you, 21 who through him have faith in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth unto unfeigned brotherly love, love one another from the heart, fervently; 23 being born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. 24 Because, “All flesh is as grass, and all its glory as the flower of grass; the grass withered, and its flower fell off; 25 but the word of the Lord abideth for ever;” and this is the word which was preached to you.
2 1 Laying aside therefore all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all slander, 2 as new-born babes, desire the spiritual, pure milk, that ye may grow thereby to salvation; 3 if indeed ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4 To whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but in the sight of God chosen, honored, 5 be ye yourselves also, as living stones, built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Because it is contained in the Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone, chosen, honored; and he that believeth in him shall not be put to shame.” 7 To you therefore who believe, is the honor; but to the disobedient, “the stone which the builders rejected, the same hath become the corner-stone,” 8 and “a stone of stumbling, and a rock to strike against;” even to those who stumble, being disobedient to the word; to which they were also appointed. 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a possession, that ye may show forth the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light; 10 who once were not a people, but are now the people of God; who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 11 Beloved, I exhort you, as sojourners and strangers, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 having your manner of life among the gentiles honorable; that, whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. 13 Submit yourselves therefore to every human institution for the Lord's sake; whether to the king, as supreme; 14 or to governors, as being sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers, and the praise of those who do well. 15 For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men; 16 as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as servants of God. 17 Honor all men; love the brotherhood; fear God; honor the king. 18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and considerate, but also to the perverse. 19 For this is acceptable, if any one on account of a sense of duty to God endureth hardships, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye are beaten for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently [[it is glory]]; for this is acceptable with God. 21 For to this ye were called; because even Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps; 22 who committed no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; 23 who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered did not threaten, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously; 24 who himself bore our sins in his own body on the cross, that we, having died to our sins, should live to righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were going astray like sheep; but ye have now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
3 1 In like manner, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, that even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be won by the behavior of the wives, 2 when they behold your chaste behavior coupled with fear. 3 Whose adorning, let it not be the out yard adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing golden ornaments, or of putting on apparel; 4 but the hidden man of the heart, in that which is imperishable, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 5 For in this manner in the old time the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands; 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose daughters ye have become, if ye do well, and fear no alarm. 7 Dwell likewise, O husband, with thy wife according to knowledge, as with the weaker vessel, giving her honor as being heir with thee of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. 8 Finally, be, all of one mind, have fellow feeling, love as brethren, be compassionate, be humble; 9 not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing; but, on the contrary, blessing the evil-doer; because for this end ye were called, that ye might inherit blessing. 10 “For he that would love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking guile; 11 let him turn away from evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are toward their supplication; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 13 And who is he that shall harm you, if ye are followers of that which is good? 14 But if ye even suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye. And be not afraid at their terrors, nor alarmed; 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. And be ready always to give an answer to every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, but with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that, wherein ye are evil spoken of, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conduct in Christ. 17 For it is better, if it be the will of God, that ye suffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous one for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who were disobedient in times past, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing, wherein a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water; 21 which in its antitype, baptism, is now saving you,—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the earnest seeking for a good conscience toward God,—by the resurrection of Jesus Christ; 22 who is on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.
4 1 Christ then having suffered in the flesh, do ye also arm yourselves with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2 that ye may no longer live the remaining time in the flesh after the lusts of men, but after the will of God. 3 For sufficient is the time past to have wrought the will of the gentiles, when ye walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, carousings, and abominable idolatries; 4 at which they are astonished that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you; 5 who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For to this end was the gospel preached also to the dead, that they might indeed be judged according to men in the flesh, but might live according to God in the spirit. 7 But the end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 8 And above all things have fervent love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without grudging. 10 According as each one hath received a gift, minister the same to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If any one speak, let him speak as uttering the oracles of God; if any minister, let him do it as from the ability which God giveth; that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 12 Beloved, be not surprised at the fiery trial which is taking place among you to prove you, as though a strange thing were befalling you; 13 but, in so far as ye share in Christ's sufferings, rejoice; that also at the manifestation of his glory ye may rejoice with exceeding joy. 14 If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. 15 For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a busybody in other men's matters; 16 but if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this name. 17 For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God; but if it first begin with us, what will be the end of those who obey not the gospel of God? 18 and “if the righteous scarcely is saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” 19 Wherefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing, as to a faithful Creator.
5 1 The elders among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a sharer in the glory that is to be revealed; 2 tend the flock of God which is among you, overseeing it, not by constraint, but willingly; not for base gain, but with ready mind; 3 not as lording it over your allotted charge, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye will receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away. 5 In like manner, ye younger men, submit yourselves to the elder; and all of you be clothed with humility toward each other; for “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; 7 casting all your care upon him, because he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; 9 whom resist, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being accomplished in your brethren in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who called you to his everlasting glory in Christ Jesus, will, after ye have suffered a while, himself make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be the dominion for ever. Amen. 12 By Silvanus, the faithful brother as I think, I have written to you in few words, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. 13 The church in Babylon, chosen with you, saluteth you; and Mark, my son. 14 Salute one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all that are in Christ.