^{1 Ref} Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the saints who are living in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

^{2 Ref} Who, through the purpose of God, have been made holy by the Spirit, disciples of Jesus, made clean by his blood: May you have grace and peace in full measure.

^{3 Ref} Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who through his great mercy has given us a new birth and a living hope by the coming again of Jesus Christ from the dead,

^{4 Ref} And a heritage fair, holy and for ever new, waiting in heaven for you,

^{5 Ref} Who, by the power of God are kept, through faith, for that salvation, which will be seen at the last day.

^{6 Ref} You have cause for great joy in this, though it may have been necessary for you to be troubled for a little time, being tested in all sorts of ways,

^{7 Ref} So that the true metal of your faith, being of much greater value than gold (which, though it comes to an end, is tested by fire), may come to light in praise and glory and honour, at the revelation of Jesus Christ:

^{8 Ref} To whom your love is given, though you have not seen him; and the faith which you have in him, though you do not see him now, gives you joy greater than words and full of glory:

^{9 Ref} For so you have the true end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

^{10 Ref} For the prophets who gave the news of the grace which would come to you, made search with all care for knowledge of this salvation;

^{11 Ref} Attempting to see what sort of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them was pointing to, when it gave witness to the pains which Christ would undergo and the glories which would come after them.

^{12 Ref} And it was made clear to those prophets that they were God's servants not for themselves but for you, to give you word of the things which have now come to your ears from the preachers of the good news through the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; things which even angels have a desire to see.

^{13 Ref} So make your minds ready, and keep on the watch, hoping with all your power for the grace which is to come to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

^{14 Ref} Like children ruled by God, do not go back to the old desires of the time when you were without knowledge:

^{15 Ref} But be holy in every detail of your lives, as he, whose servants you are, is holy;

^{16 Ref} Because it has been said in the Writings, You are to be holy, for I am holy.

^{17 Ref} And if you give the name of Father to him who, judging every man by his acts, has no respect for a man's position, then go in fear while you are on this earth:

^{18 Ref} Being conscious that you have been made free from that foolish way of life which was your heritage from your fathers, not through a payment of things like silver or gold which come to destruction,

^{19 Ref} But through holy blood, like that of a clean and unmarked lamb, even the blood of Christ:

^{20 Ref} Who was marked out by God before the making of the world, but was caused to be seen in these last times for you,

^{21 Ref} Who through him have faith in God who took him up again from the dead into glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God.

^{22 Ref} And as you have made your souls clean, being ruled by what is true, and loving one another without deceit, see that your love is warm and from the heart:

^{23 Ref} Because you have had a new birth, not from the seed of man, but from eternal seed, through the word of a living and unchanging God.

^{24 Ref} For it is said, All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the grass. The grass becomes dry and the flower dead:

^{25 Ref} But the word of the Lord is eternal. And this is the word of the good news which was given to you.

^{1 Ref} Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the choice sojourners of the dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

^{2 Ref} according to a foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied!

^{3 Ref} Blessed `is' the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to the abundance of His kindness did beget us again to a living hope, through the rising again of Jesus Christ out of the dead,

^{4 Ref} to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and unfading, reserved in the heavens for you,

^{5 Ref} who, in the power of God are being guarded, through faith, unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time,

^{6 Ref} in which ye are glad, a little now, if it be necessary, being made to sorrow in manifold trials,

^{7 Ref} that the proof of your faith -- much more precious than of gold that is perishing, and through fire being approved -- may be found to praise, and honour, and glory, in the revelation of Jesus Christ,

^{8 Ref} whom, not having seen, ye love, in whom, now not seeing and believing, ye are glad with joy unspeakable and glorified,

^{9 Ref} receiving the end of your faith -- salvation of souls;

^{10 Ref} concerning which salvation seek out and search out did prophets who concerning the grace toward you did prophecy,

^{11 Ref} searching in regard to what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ that was in them was manifesting, testifying beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory after these,

^{12 Ref} to whom it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to us they were ministering these, which now were told to you (through those who did proclaim good news to you,) in the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, to which things messengers do desire to bend looking.

^{13 Ref} Wherefore having girded up the loins of your mind, being sober, hope perfectly upon the grace that is being brought to you in the revelation of Jesus Christ,

^{14 Ref} as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves to the former desires in your ignorance,

^{15 Ref} but according as He who did call you `is' holy, ye also, become holy in all behaviour,

^{16 Ref} because it hath been written, `Become ye holy, because I am holy;'

^{17 Ref} and if on the Father ye do call, who without acceptance of persons is judging according to the work of each, in fear the time of your sojourn pass ye,

^{18 Ref} having known that, not with corruptible things -- silver or gold -- were ye redeemed from your foolish behaviour delivered by fathers,

^{19 Ref} but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and unspotted -- Christ's --

^{20 Ref} foreknown, indeed, before the foundation of the world, and manifested in the last times because of you,

^{21 Ref} who through him do believe in God, who did raise out of the dead, and glory to him did give, so that your faith and hope may be in God.

^{22 Ref} Your souls having purified in the obedience of the truth through the Spirit to brotherly love unfeigned, out of a pure heart one another love ye earnestly,

^{23 Ref} being begotten again, not out of seed corruptible, but incorruptible, through a word of God -- living and remaining -- to the age;

^{24 Ref} because all flesh `is' as grass, and all glory of man as flower of grass; wither did the grass, and the flower of it fell away,

^{25 Ref} and the saying of the Lord doth remain -- to the age; and this is the saying that was proclaimed good news to you.

^{1 Ref} Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

^{2 Ref} 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.

^{3 Ref} Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

^{4 Ref} To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

^{5 Ref} Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

^{6 Ref} Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

^{7 Ref} That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

^{8 Ref} 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 Ref} Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

^{10 Ref} Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

^{11 Ref} 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.

^{12 Ref} 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.

^{13 Ref} Wherefore 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;

^{14 Ref} As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

^{15 Ref} But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

^{16 Ref} Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

^{17 Ref} And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

^{18 Ref} Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

^{19 Ref} But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

^{20 Ref} Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

^{21 Ref} 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.

^{22 Ref} Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

^{23 Ref} Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

^{24 Ref} For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

^{25 Ref} But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.