To elect pilgrims

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect sojourners ⁰of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,

2elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the setting apart of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ: ¹May grace and peace be multiplied ²to you.

Begotten into an incorruptible inheritance

3Blessed be the God and Father ³of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴who according to His great mercy has given us ⁵another birth ⁶into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead, ⁷

4into an imperishable and undefiled and unfading inheritance, ⁸already reserved in the heavens for you,

5who are being guarded by the power of God through faith ⁹unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ¹⁰

Genuineness of faith proved by testing

6You should be overjoyed about this, even if just now, briefly, of necessity, ¹¹you have been distressed by a variety of trials,

7so that the demonstrated genuineness of your faith (much more precious than gold that perishes, albeit tested through fire) may translate into ¹²praise, glory and honor ¹³at the revelation of Jesus Christ

8—whom not having understood ¹⁴you love, into whom believing (not yet seeing) you exult with joy inexpressible, already glorified, ¹⁵

9obtaining for yourselves the end result of your faith, ¹⁶the salvation of your souls.

Salvation foretold by prophets

10Concerning this salvation ¹⁷the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and inquired diligently,

11investigating into whom, or what sort of time, the Spirit of Christ ¹⁸who was in them was indicating ¹⁹as He testified beforehand the sufferings that would be inflicted on Christ ²⁰and the glories that would follow them.

12It was revealed to them that they were not ministering these things to themselves, but to you; ²¹which things have now been announced to you by those who proclaimed the gospel to you, with ²²the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things that angels really desire to look into. ²³

Be serious, be holy, be fearful

13Therefore, having girded up the loins of your mind, ²⁴staying sober, ²⁵rest your hope fully upon the grace being brought to you in the revelation of Jesus Christ ²⁶—

14as children of obedience, ²⁷not conforming yourselves to the former lusts as in your ignorance,

15but just as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your way of life,

16because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” ²⁸

17Also, since you invoke as Father ²⁹the One who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves during the time of your sojourn here in fear, ³⁰

18knowing that it was not with perishable things (silver or gold) that you were redeemed from the futile way of life handed down by your forefathers, ³¹

19but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a faultless and pure lamb;

20who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, ³²but was revealed in these last times for your sake,

21who through Him are believing into God, ³³who raised Him out from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are into God.

Born again through an eternal Word

22Since you have purified your souls by obeying the truth through the Spirit, ³⁴resulting in sincere brotherly love, you must love one another fervently from a pure heart,

23having been begotten again, not from a corruptible seed but an incorruptible, ³⁵through the living Word of God that remains valid forever. ³⁶

24For: “All flesh is as grass, and all man's glory as flower of grass. The grass withers and its flower falls off, but the Lord's word endures forever.” ³⁷

25Now this is the good word that was proclaimed to you. ³⁸