1 Peter, 1

1. Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ, to all those living as aliens in the Dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen,

1. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2. in the foresight of God the Father, to be made holy by the Spirit, obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

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.

3. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

3. 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. and into a heritage that can never be spoilt or soiled and never fade away. It is reserved in heaven for you

4. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

5. who are being kept safe by God's power through faith until the salvation which has been prepared is revealed at the final point of time.

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

6. This is a great joy to you, even though for a short time yet you must bear all sorts of trials;

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

7. so that the worth of your faith, more valuable than gold, which is perishable even if it has been tested by fire, may be proved -- to your praise and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.

7. 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. You have not seen him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him you believe in him and so are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described;

8. 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. and you are sure of the goal of your faith, that is, the salvation of your souls.

9. Receiving the end of your faith, [even] the salvation of [your] souls.

10. This salvation was the subject of the search and investigation of the prophets who spoke of the grace you were to receive,

10. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace [that should come] unto you:

11. searching out the time and circumstances for which the Spirit of Christ, bearing witness in them, was revealing the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow them.

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.

12. It was revealed to them that it was for your sake and not their own that they were acting as servants delivering the message which has now been announced to you by those who preached to you the gospel through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even the angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.

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.

13. Your minds, then, must be sober and ready for action; put all your hope in the grace brought to you by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

13. 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. Do not allow yourselves to be shaped by the passions of your old ignorance,

14. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

15. but as obedient children, be yourselves holy in all your activity, after the model of the Holy One who calls us,

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

16. since scripture says, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'

16. Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

17. And if you address as Father him who judges without favouritism according to each individual's deeds, live out the time of your exile here in reverent awe.

17. 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. For you know that the price of your ransom from the futile way of life handed down from your ancestors was paid, not in anything perishable like silver or gold,

18. 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. but in precious blood as of a blameless and spotless lamb, Christ.

19. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

20. He was marked out before the world was made, and was revealed at the final point of time for your sake.

20. Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

21. Through him you now have faith in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory for this very purpose -- that your faith and hope should be in God.

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.

22. Since by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves so that you can experience the genuine love of brothers, love each other intensely from the heart;

22. 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. for your new birth was not from any perishable seed but from imperishable seed, the living and enduring Word of God.

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

24. For all humanity is grass, and all its beauty like the wild flower's. As grass withers, the flower fades,

24. 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. but the Word of the Lord remains for ever. And this Word is the Good News that has been brought to you.

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