1Peter:1-5

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Seeker Overlay ON

* Peter , an apostle of Jesus Christ , to [the ] elect sojourners of [the ] Dispersion of Pontus , of Galatia , of Cappadocia , of Asia , and of Bithynia , * according to the foreknowledge of God the Father , in sanctification of [the ] Spirit , to obedience and sprinkling of [the ] blood of Jesus Christ . May grace and peace be multiplied to you . * Blessed [be ] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , who according to His great mercy has regenerated us again to a living hope through [the ] resurrection of Jesus Christ from [the ] dead , * to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled , and unfading , reserved in Heaven for you * by [the ] power of God , having been kept through faith to a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time ; * in which you greatly rejoice , yet a little [while ], if need be , grieving in manifold temptations ; * so that the trial of your faith (being much more precious than that of gold that perishes , but being proven through fire ) might be found to praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ , * whom having not seen , you love ; in whom not yet seeing , but believing in Him you exult with unspeakable joy , and having been glorified , * obtaining the end of your faith , the salvation of [your ] souls . * About which salvation the prophets sought out and searched out , prophesying concerning the grace for you ; * searching for what , or what manner of time , the Spirit of Christ made clear within them , testifying beforehand of the sufferings of Christ , and the glories that should follow . * To them it was revealed that not to themselves , but to us , they ministered the things which are now reported to you by those who have preached the gospel to you in [the ] Holy Spirit sent from Heaven ; which things the angels desire to look into . * Therefore girding up the loins of your mind , being sober , perfectly hope for the grace being brought to you at [the ] revelation of Jesus Christ , * as obedient children , not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance , * but according to the Holy One who has called you , you also become holy in all conduct , * because it is written , Be holy , for I am holy . * And if you call on [the ] Father , who without respect of persons judges according to the work of each one , pass the time of your [earthly ] residence in fear , * knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things , silver or gold , from your vain manner of life handed down from [your ] fathers , * but with [the ] precious blood of Christ , as of a lamb without blemish and without spot ; * indeed having been foreknown before [the ] foundation of [the ] world , but revealed in [the ] last times for you , * those believing in God through Him , He who raised Him up from [the ] dead and gave Him glory , so that your faith and hope might be in God . * Purifying your souls in the obedience of the truth through the Spirit to unfeigned love of the brothers , love one another fervently out of a pure heart , * having been born again , not of corruptible seed , but of incorruptible , through the living word of God , and abiding forever . * For all flesh [is ] as grass , and all the glory of men as the flower of the grass . The grass withers , and its flower falls out , * but the Word of the Lord endures forever . And this is the Word preached as gospel to you . * Therefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envyings , and all evil speakings , * desire the sincere milk of the word , as newborn babes , so that you may grow by it ; * if truly you have tasted that the Lord [is ] gracious . * For having been drawn to Him , a living Stone , indeed rejected by men , but elect , precious with God ; * you also as living stones are built up a spiritual house , a holy priesthood , to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ . * Therefore also it is contained in the Scripture : Behold , I lay in Zion a chief corner Stone , elect , precious , and he who believes on Him shall never be ashamed . * Therefore to you who believe [is ] the honor . But to those who are disobedient , [He is the ] Stone which the builders rejected ; this One came to be [the ] Head of the corner , * and a Stone-of-stumbling and a Rock-of-offense to those disobeying , who stumble at the word , to which they also were appointed . * But you [are ] a chosen generation , a royal priesthood , a holy nation , a people for possession , so that you might speak of the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light ; * [you ] who then were not a people , but now the people of God , those not pitied [then ], but now pitied . * Dearly beloved , I exhort [you ] as [temporary ] residents and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul , * having your conduct honest among the nations , in that which they speak against you as evildoers , they may glorify God in a day of [His ] visitation , seeing [your ] good works . * Then be in obedience to every ordinance of men , because of the Lord , whether to a king as supreme , * or to governors as sent by Him for vengeance [on ] evildoers , but for praise [on ] well-doers . * For such is the will of God , doing good to silence the ignorance of foolish men ; * as free , and not having freedom as a cover of evil , but as servants of God . * Honor all . Love the brotherhood . Fear God . Honor the king . * Servants , [be ] subject to [your ] masters with all fear , not only to those good and forbearing , but also to the perverse ones . * For this [is ] a grace , if for conscience [toward ] God anyone endures grief , suffering wrongfully . * For what glory [is it ] if you patiently endure [while ] sinning and being buffeted ? But if you suffer [while ] doing good , and patiently endure , this [is ] a grace from God . * For you were not called to this ? For Christ also suffered on our behalf , leaving us an example , that you should follow His steps , * He who did no sin , nor was guile found in His mouth , * who when He was reviled did not revile in return . When He suffered , He did not threaten , but gave [Himself ] up to Him who judges righteously . * [He ] Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree , that dying to sins , we might live to righteousness ; by whose stripes you were healed . * For you were as sheep going astray , but now you are turned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls . * Likewise , wives , [be ] in subjection to your own husbands , so that if any do not obey the word , they may also be won without the word by the conduct of the wives , * having witnessed your chaste behavior in [the ] fear [of God ]. * Of whom let not be the adorning of garments , or outward braiding of hair and wearing of gold , or of putting on clothing , * but [let it be ] the hidden man of the heart , in that which is not corruptible , the meek and quiet spirit , which is of great price in the sight of God . * For so once indeed the holy women hoping in God adorned themselves , being in subjection to their own husbands ; * as Sarah obeyed Abraham , calling him lord ; whose children you became , doing good and fearing no terror . * Likewise , husbands , live together according to knowledge , giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel , the female , as truly [being ] co-heirs together of [the ] grace of life , not cutting off your prayers . * And finally , all [be ] of one mind , having compassion on one another , loving the brothers , tenderhearted , friendly . * Never give back evil for evil , or reviling for reviling , but on the contrary , [giving ] blessing , knowing that you are called to this so that you might inherit blessing . * For he that wants to love life and to see good days , let him restrain his tongue from evil , and his lips from speaking guile . * Let him turn aside from evil and do good . Let him seek peace and pursue it . * For the eyes of [the ] Lord [are ] on the righteous , and His ears [open ] to their prayers . But [the ] Lord 's face [is ] against [those ] who do evil . * And who [is ] the [one ] who will harm you if you become imitators of the good ? * But if you also suffer for righteousness ' sake , [you are ] blessed . And do not fear their fear , nor be troubled , * but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts , and [be ] ready always to [give ] an answer to everyone who asks you a reason of the hope in you , with meekness and fear ; * having a good conscience , that while they speak against you as evildoers they may be shamed , those falsely accusing your good behavior in Christ . * For [it is ] better , if the will of God wills [it ], to suffer [for ] well-doing than [for ] evil-doing . * For Christ also once suffered for sins , the just for the unjust , that He might bring us to God , indeed being put to death in the flesh , but made alive in the Spirit ; * in which also He went and preached to the spirits in prison , * to disobeying ones , when once the long-suffering of God waited in [the ] days of Noah , while the ark was being prepared (in which a few , that is , eight souls were saved through water ); * which figure now also saves us , baptism ; not a putting away of [the ] filth of [the ] flesh , but the answer of a good conscience toward God , by [the ] resurrection of Jesus Christ ; * who is at [the ] right [hand ] of God , having gone into Heaven , where [the ] angels and authorities and powers are being subjected to Him . * Therefore , Christ having suffered for us in [the ] flesh , also you arm yourselves [with ] the same thought , that he suffering in [the ] flesh has been made to rest from sin , * in order no longer to [live ] in [the ] lusts of men , but in [the ] will of God the remaining time in [the ] flesh . * For the time of life which is past is enough for us to have worked out the will of the nations , having gone on in lasciviousness , lusts , excess of wine , parties , carousings , and abominable idolatries . * In these things they are surprised , [that ] you [are ] not running with [them ] into the same excess of riot , blaspheming . * But they shall give account to Him who is ready to judge [the ] living and [the ] dead . * For to this [end ] the gospel was preached also to [the ] dead , that they might be judged according to men in [the ] flesh , but live according to God in [the ] Spirit . * But the end of all things has drawn near . Therefore be of sound mind , and be sensible to prayers . * And above all things have fervent love to yourselves , for love will cover a multitude of sins . * Be hospitable to one another , without grudging ; * each one as he received a gift , ministering it to yourselves as good stewards of the manifold grace of God . * If anyone speaks , [let it be ] as [the ] words of God . If anyone ministers , let him do it as of the ability which God gives , so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ , to whom is the glory , and the might forever and ever . Amen . * Beloved , do not be astonished at the fiery trial which is to try you , as [though ] a strange thing happened to you , * but rejoice according as you are partakers of Christ 's suffering , so that when His glory shall be revealed , you may be glad also with exceeding joy . * If you are reviled for [the ] name of Christ , [you are ] blessed , because the Spirit of God and of glory rests on you . Truly according to them , He is blasphemed , but according to you He is glorified . * But let none of you suffer as a murderer , or a thief , or an evildoer , or a meddler in the affairs of others . * But if [one suffers ] as a Christian , let him not be ashamed , but let him glorify God because of this . * For the time [has come ] for the judgment to begin from the house of God . And if [it ] first [begins ] from us , what [will be ] the end of those disobeying the gospel of God ? * And if the righteous one is scarcely saved , where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear ? * Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing , as to a faithful Creator . * I exhort the elders who are among you , I being also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ , and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed . * Feed the flock of God among you , taking the oversight , not by compulsion , but willingly ; nor for base gain , but readily ; * nor as lording it over those allotted [to you by God ], but becoming examples to the flock . * And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear , you shall receive a never-fading crown of glory . * Likewise , younger ones , be subject to older ones , and all being subject to one another . Put on humility . For God resists proud ones , but He gives grace to the humble . * Therefore be humbled under the mighty hand of God , so that He may exalt you in due time , * casting all your anxiety onto Him , for He cares for you . * Be sensible [and ] vigilant , because your adversary [the ] Devil walks about like a roaring lion , seeking someone he may devour ; * whom firmly resist in the faith , knowing that the same afflictions in [the ] world are being completed in your brotherhood . * But the God of all grace , He calling us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus , after you have suffered a little , [He ] will perfect , confirm , strengthen , and establish [you ]. * To Him [be ] the glory and the might forever and ever . Amen . * I wrote to you through a few [words ], by Silvanus , a faithful brother to you , as I suppose , exhorting and testifying this to be [the ] true grace of God in which you stand . * The fellow-elected in Babylon greet you ; also Mark my son . * Greet one another with a kiss of holy love . Peace [be ] to you , all those in Christ Jesus . Amen .

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