1 Peter 1; 1 Peter 2; 1 Peter 3; 1 Peter 4; 1 Peter 5

1 Peter 1

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ: To the temporary residents of the Dispersion in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen

2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and set apart by the Spirit for obedience and [for the] sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

5 who are being protected by God's power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to be distressed by various trials

7 so that the genuineness of your faith-more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire-may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

8 You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy,

9 because you are receiving the goal 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 They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow.

12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you concerning things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things.

13 Therefore, get your minds ready for action, being self-disciplined, and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance

15 but, as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct;

16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

17 And if you address as Father the One who judges impartially based on each one's work, you are to conduct yourselves in reverence during this time of temporary residence.

18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things, like silver or gold,

19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.

20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the times for you

21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 By obedience to the truth, having purified yourselves for sincere love of the brothers, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

23 since you have been born again-not of perishable seed but of imperishable-through the living and enduring word of God.

24 For All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like a flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower drops off,

25 but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you.

1 Peter 2

1 So rid yourselves of all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.

2 Like newborn infants, desire the unadulterated spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it in [your] salvation,

3 since you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 Coming to Him, a living stone-rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God-

5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6 For it stands in Scripture: Look! I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and valuable cornerstone, and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame!

7 So the honor is for you who believe; but for the unbelieving, The stone that the builders rejected- this One has become the cornerstone, and

8 A stone that causes men to stumble, and a rock that trips them up. They stumble by disobeying the message; they were destined for this.

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11 Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you.

12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do evil, they may, by observing your good works, glorify God in a day of visitation.

13 Submit to every human institution because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority,

14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.

15 For it is God's will that you, by doing good, silence the ignorance of foolish people.

16 As God's slaves, [live] as free people, but don't use your freedom as a way to conceal evil.

17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the Emperor.

18 Household slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel.

19 For it [brings] favor if, because of conscience toward God, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly.

20 For what credit is there if you endure when you sin and are beaten? But when you do good and suffer, if you endure, it brings favor with God.

21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps.

22 He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth;

23 when reviled, He did not revile in return; when suffering, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to the One who judges justly.

24 He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; by His wounding you have been healed.

25 For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

1 Peter 3

1 Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the [Christian] message, they may be won over without a message by the way their wives live,

2 when they observe your pure, reverent lives.

3 Your beauty should not consist of outward things [like] elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes;

4 instead, [it should consist of] the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God's eyes.

5 For in the past, the holy women who hoped in God also beautified themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands,

6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do good and aren't frightened by anything alarming.

7 Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives with understanding of their weaker nature yet showing them honor as co-heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

8 Now finally, all of you should be like-minded and sympathetic, should love believers, and be compassionate and humble,

9 not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you can inherit a blessing.

10 For the one who wants to love life and to see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit,

11 and he must turn away from evil and do good. He must seek peace and pursue it,

12 because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their request. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

13 And who will harm you if you are passionate for what is good?

14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed,

15 but set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

16 However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame.

17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring you to God, after being put to death in the fleshly realm but made alive in the spiritual realm.

19 In that state He also went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison

20 who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while an ark was being prepared; in it, a few-that is, eight people-were saved through water.

21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

22 Now that He has gone into heaven, He is at God's right hand, with angels, authorities, and powers subjected to Him.

1 Peter 4

1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same resolve-because the One who suffered in the flesh has finished with sin -

2 in order to live the remaining time in the flesh, no longer for human desires, but for God's will.

3 For there has already been enough time spent in doing the will of the pagans: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry.

4 In regard to this, they are surprised that you don't plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation-and they slander you.

5 They will give an account to the One who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.

6 For this reason the gospel was also preached to [those who are now] dead, so that, although they might be judged by men in the fleshly realm, they might live by God in the spiritual realm.

7 Now the end of all things is near; therefore, be clear-headed and disciplined for prayer.

8 Above all, keep your love for one another at full strength, since love covers a multitude of sins.

9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining.

10 Based on the gift they have received, everyone should use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God.

11 If anyone speaks, [his speech should be] like the oracles of God; if anyone serves, [his service should be] from the strength God provides, so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

12 Dear friends, when the fiery ordeal arises among you to test you, don't be surprised by it, as if something unusual were happening to you.

13 Instead, as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah rejoice, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory.

14 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

15 None of you, however, should suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a meddler.

16 But if [anyone suffers] as a Christian, he should not be ashamed, but should glorify God with that name.

17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?

18 And if the righteous is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?

19 So those who suffer according to God's will should, in doing good, entrust themselves to a faithful Creator.

1 Peter 5

1 Therefore, as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of the Messiah, and also a participant in the glory about to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you:

2 shepherd God's flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God's [will]; not for the money but eagerly;

3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

5 Likewise, you younger men, be subject to the elders. And all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time,

7 casting all your care upon Him, because He cares about you.

8 Be sober! Be on the alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

9 Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your brothers in the world.

10 Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little.

11 To Him be the dominion forever. Amen.

12 Through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, I have written briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Take your stand in it!

13 She who is in Babylon, also chosen, sends you greetings, as does Mark, my son.

14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.