The First Letter Of Peter
1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to the strangers scattered
throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia,
1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you,
and peace, be multiplied.
1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, which
according to his abundant mercy has begotten
us again unto a lively
hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead,
1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible,
and undefiled, and that fades not
away, reserved in heaven for you,
1:5 Who are kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time.
1:6 Wherein you greatly rejoice, though
now for a season, if need be,
you are in heaviness through manifold
temptations:
1:7 That the trial of your faith, being
much more precious than of
gold that perishes, though it be tried
with fire, might be found unto
praise and honor and glory at the appearing
of Jesus Christ:
1:8 Whom having not seen, you love; in
whom, though now you see him
not, yet believing, you rejoice with
joy unspeakable and full of
glory:
1:9 Receiving the end of your faith,
even the salvation of your souls.
1:10 Of which salvation the prophets
have inquired and searched
diligently, who prophesied of the grace
that should come unto you:
1:11 Searching what, or what manner of
time the Spirit of Christ which
was in them did signify, when it testified
beforehand the sufferings
of Christ, and the glory that should
follow.
1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that
not unto themselves, but unto us
they did minister the things, which are
now reported unto you by them
that have preached the gospel unto you
with the Holy Ghost sent down
from heaven; which things the angels
desire to look into.
1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your
mind, be sober, and hope to
the end for the grace that is to be brought
unto you at the revelation
of Jesus Christ;
1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning
yourselves according to the
former lusts in your ignorance:
1:15 But as he which has called you is
holy, so be holy in all manner
of conduct;
1:16 Because it is written, Be you holy;
for I am holy.
1:17 And if you call on the Father, who
without respect of persons
judges according to every man's work,
pass the time of your sojourning
here in fear:
1:18 Since as you know that you were
not redeemed with corruptible
things, as silver and gold, from your
vain conduct received by
tradition from your fathers;
1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ,
as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot:
1:20 Who truthfully was foreordained
before the foundation of the
world, but was manifest in these last
times for you,
1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that
raised him up from the dead,
and gave him glory; that your faith and
hope might be in God.
1:22 Seeing you have purified your souls
in obeying the truth through
the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the
brothers, see that you love one
another with a pure heart fervently:
1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible,
by the word of God, which lives and abides
forever.
1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all
the glory of man as the flower
of grass. The grass withers, and the
flower of it falls away:
1:25 But the word of the Lord endures
forever. And this is the word
which by the gospel is preached unto
you.
2:1 Therefore laying aside all malice,
and all guile, and hypocrisies,
and envies, all evil speakings,
2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere
milk of the word, that you
may grow thereby:
2:3 If so be you have tasted that the
Lord is gracious.
2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living
stone, disallowed indeed of men,
but chosen of God, and precious,
2:5 You also, as lively stones, are built
up a spiritual house, a holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by
Jesus Christ.
2:6 Therefore also it is contained in
the scripture, Behold, I lay in
Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious:
and he that believes on
him shall not be confounded.
2:7 Unto you therefore which believe
he is precious: but unto them
which be disobedient, the stone which
the builders disallowed, the
same is made the head of the corner,
2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock
of offenses, even to those
who stumble at the word, being disobedient:
whereunto also they were
appointed.
2:9 But you are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a peculiar people; that you should
show forth the praises of
him who has called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light;
2:10 Which in time past were not a people,
but are now the people of
God: which had not obtained mercy, but
now have obtained mercy.
2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as
strangers and pilgrims, abstain
from fleshly lusts, which war against
the soul;
2:12 Having your conduct honest among
the Gentiles: that, whereas they
speak against you as evildoers, they
may by your good works, which
they shall behold, glorify God in the
day of visitation.
2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance
of man for the Lord's sake:
whether it be to the king, as supreme;
2:14 Or unto governors, as unto them
that are sent by him for the
punishment of evildoers, and for the
praise of them that do well.
2:15 For so is the will of God, that
with well doing you may put to
silence the ignorance of foolish men:
2:16 As free, and not using your liberty
for a cloak of maliciousness,
but as the servants of God.
2:17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood.
Fear God. Honor the king.
2:18 Servants, be subject to your masters
with all fear; not only to
the good and gentle, but also to the
forward.
2:19 For this is thank worthy, if a man
for conscience toward God
endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
2:20 For what glory is it, if, when you
be buffeted for your faults,
you shall take it patiently? but if,
when you do well, and suffer for
it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable
with God.
2:21 For even hereunto were you called:
because Christ also suffered
for us, leaving us an example, that you
should follow his steps:
2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth:
2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled
not again; when he suffered, he
threatened not; but committed himself
to him that judges righteously:
2:24 Who his own self bore our sins in
his own body on the tree, that
we, being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness: by whose
stripes you were healed.
2:25 For you were as sheep going astray;
but are now returned unto the
Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
3:1 Likewise, you wives, be in subjection
to your own husbands; that,
if any obey not the word, they also may
without the word be won by the
conduct of the wives;
3:2 While they behold your chaste conduct
coupled with fear.
3:3 Whose adorning let it not be that
outward adorning of plaiting the
hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting
on of apparel;
3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the
heart, in that which is not
corruptible, even the ornament of a meek
and quiet spirit, which is in
the sight of God of great price.
3:5 For after this manner in the old
time the holy women also, who
trusted in God, adorned themselves, being
in subjection unto their own
husbands:
3:6 Just as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling
him lord: whose daughters you
are, as long as you do well, and are
not afraid with any amazement.
3:7 Likewise, you husbands, dwell with
them according to knowledge,
giving honor unto the wife, as unto the
weaker vessel, and as being
heirs together of the grace of life;
that your prayers be not
hindered.
3:8 Finally, be you all of one mind,
having compassion one of another,
love as brothers, be pitiful, be courteous:
3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing
for railing: but
contrariwise blessing; knowing that you
are thereunto called, that you
should inherit a blessing.
3:10 For he that will love life, and
see good days, let him refrain
his tongue from evil, and his lips that
they speak no guile:
3:11 Let him shun evil, and do good;
let him seek peace, and ensue it.
3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over
the righteous, and his ears are
open unto their prayers: but the face
of the Lord is against them that
do evil.
3:13 And who is he that will harm you,
if you be followers of that
which is good?
3:14 But and if you suffer for righteousness'
sake, happy are you: and
be not afraid of their terror, neither
be troubled;
3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your
hearts: and be ready always to
give an answer to every man that asks
you a reason of the hope that is
in you with meekness and fear:
3:16 Having a good conscience; that,
whereas they speak evil of you,
as of evildoers, they may be ashamed
that falsely accuse your good
conduct in Christ.
3:17 For it is better, if the will of
God be so, that you suffer for
well doing, than for evil doing.
3:18 For Christ also has once suffered
for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the
flesh, but given life by the Spirit:
3:19 By which also he went and preached
unto the spirits in prison;
3:20 Which sometime were disobedient,
when once the longsuffering of
God waited in the days of Noah, while
the ark was a preparing, in
which few, that is, eight souls were
saved by water.
3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism
does also now save us (not
the putting away of the filth of the
flesh, but the answer of a good
conscience toward God,) by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ:
3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is
on the right hand of God; angels
and authorities and powers being made
subject unto him.
4:1 Since Christ has suffered for us
in the flesh, arm yourselves
likewise with the same mind: for he that
has suffered in the flesh has
ceased from sin;
4:2 That he no longer should live the
rest of his time in the flesh to
the lusts of men, but to the will of
God.
4:3 For the time past of our life may
suffice us to have wrought the
will of the Gentiles, when we walked
in lasciviousness, lusts, excess
of wine, revellings, banquetings, and
abominable idolatries:
4:4 Wherein they think it strange that
you run not with them to the
same excess of riot, speaking evil of
you:
4:5 Who shall give account to him that
is ready to judge the quick and
the dead.
4:6 For for this cause was the gospel
preached also to them that are
dead, that they might be judged according
to men in the flesh, but
live according to God in the spirit.
4:7 But the end of all things is at hand:
be you therefore sober, and
watch unto prayer.
4:8 And above all things have fervent
love among yourselves: for love
shall cover the multitude of sins.
4:9 Use hospitality one to another without
grudging.
4:10 As every man has received the gift,
even so minister the same one
to another, as good stewards of the manifold
grace of God.
4:11 If any man speak, let him speak
as the oracles of God; if any man
minister, let him do it as of the ability
which God gives: that God in
all things may be glorified through Jesus
Christ, to whom be praise
and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning
the fiery trial which is
to try you, as though some strange thing
happened unto you:
4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as you are
partakers of Christ's
sufferings; that, when his glory shall
be revealed, you may be glad
also with exceeding joy.
4:14 If you be reproached for the name
of Christ, happy are you; for
the spirit of glory and of God rests
upon you: on their part he is
evil spoken of, but on your part he is
glorified.
4:15 But let none of you suffer as a
murderer, or as a thief, or as an
evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's
matters.
4:16 yet if any man suffer as a Christian,
let him not be ashamed; but
let him glorify God on this behalf.
4:17 For the time is come that judgment
must begin at the house of
God: and if it first begin at us, what
shall the end be of them that
obey not the gospel of God?
4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be
saved, where shall the ungodly
and the sinner appear?
4:19 Therefore let them that suffer according
to the will of God
commit the keeping of their souls to
him in well doing, as unto a
faithful Creator.
5:1 The elders which are among you I
exhort, who am also an elder, and
a witness of the sufferings of Christ,
and also a partaker of the
glory that shall be revealed:
5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among
you, taking the oversight of
it, not by constraint, but willingly;
not for filthy lucre, but of a
ready mind;
5:3 Neither as being lords over God's
heritage, but being examples to
the flock.
5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall
appear, you shall receive a
crown of glory that fades not away.
5:5 Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves
unto the elder. yes, all
of you be subject one to another, and
be clothed with humility: for
God resists the proud, and gives grace
to the humble.
5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under
the mighty hand of God, that he
may exalt you in due time:
5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for
he cares for you.
5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom
he may devour:
5:9 Whom resist steadfast in the faith,
knowing that the same
afflictions are accomplished in your
brothers that are in the world.
5:10 But the God of all grace, who has
called us unto his eternal
glory by Christ Jesus, after you have
suffered a while, make you
perfect, establish, strengthen, settle
you.
5:11 To him be glory and dominion forever
and ever. Amen.
5:12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother
unto you, as I suppose, I have
written briefly, exhorting, and testifying
that this is the true grace
of God in which you stand.
5:13 The church that is at Babylon, elected
together with you, salutes
you; and so does Marcus my son.
5:14 Greet you one another with a kiss
of love. Peace be with you all
that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.