1 Peter 1:1–25

¹Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the temporary residents scattered about in Pon′tus, Ga‧la′ti‧a, Cap‧pa‧do′ci‧a, Asia, and Bi‧thyn′i‧a, to the ones chosen²according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, with sanctification by the spirit, for the purpose of their being obedient and sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ:

May undeserved kindness and peace be increased to ​YOU.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for according to his great mercy he gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,⁴to an incorruptible and undefiled and unfading inheritance. It is reserved in the heavens for ​YOU,⁵who are being safeguarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last period of time.⁶In this fact ​YOU​ are greatly rejoicing, though for a little while at present, if it must be, ​YOU​ have been grieved by various trials,⁷in order that the tested quality of ​YOUR​ faith, of much greater value than gold that perishes despite its being proved by fire, may be found a cause for praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.⁸Though ​YOU​ never saw him, ​YOU​ love him. Though ​YOU​ are not looking upon him at present, yet ​YOU​ exercise faith in him and are greatly rejoicing with an unspeakable and glorified joy,⁹as ​YOU​ receive the end of ​YOUR​ faith, the salvation of ​YOUR​ souls.

¹⁰Concerning this very salvation a diligent inquiry and a careful search were made by the prophets who prophesied about the undeserved kindness meant for ​YOU.¹¹They kept on investigating what particular season or what sort of [season] the spirit in them was indicating concerning Christ when it was bearing witness beforehand about the sufferings for Christ and about the glories to follow these.¹²It was revealed to them that, not to themselves, but to ​YOU, they were ministering the things that have now been announced to ​YOU​ through those who have declared the good news to ​YOU​ with holy spirit sent forth from heaven. Into these very things angels are desiring to peer.

¹³Hence brace up ​YOUR​ minds for activity, keep ​YOUR​ senses completely; set ​YOUR​ hope upon the undeserved kindness that is to be brought to ​YOU​ at the revelation of Jesus Christ.¹⁴As obedient children, quit being fashioned according to the desires ​YOU​ formerly had in ​YOUR​ ignorance,¹⁵but, in accord with the Holy One who called ​YOU, do ​YOU​ also become holy yourselves in all [YOUR] conduct,¹⁶because it is written: “YOU​ must be holy, because I am holy.”

¹⁷Furthermore, if ​YOU​ are calling upon the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves with fear during the time of ​YOUR​ alien residence.¹⁸For ​YOU​ know that it was not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, that ​YOU​ were delivered from ​YOUR​ fruitless form of conduct received by tradition from ​YOUR​ forefathers.¹⁹But it was with precious blood, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, even Christ’s.²⁰True, he was foreknown before the founding of the world, but he was made manifest at the end of the times for the sake of ​YOU²¹who through him are believers in God, the one who raised him up from the dead and gave him glory; so that ​YOUR​ faith and hope might be in God.

²²Now that ​YOU​ have purified ​YOUR​ souls by [YOUR] obedience to the truth with unhypocritical brotherly affection as the result, love one another intensely from the heart.²³For ​YOU​ have been given a new birth, not by corruptible, but by incorruptible [reproductive] seed, through the word of [the] living and enduring God.²⁴For “all flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like a blossom of grass; the grass becomes withered, and the flower falls off,²⁵but the saying of Jehovah endures forever.” Well, this is the “saying,” this which has been declared to ​YOU​ as good news.