A Living Hope
aPeter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who reside as bexiles, cscattered throughout dPontus, eGalatia, dCappadocia, dAsia, and fBithynia, gwho are chosen 2 according to the aforeknowledge of God the Father, bby the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to the cobedience of Jesus Christ and the dsprinkling of His blood: eMay grace and peace be multiplied to you.
3 aBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who baccording to His great mercy chas caused us to be born again to da living hope through the eresurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an ainheritance incorruptible and undefiled and bunfading, having been ckept in heaven for you, 5 who are aprotected by the power of God bthrough faith for ca salvation ready dto be revealed in the last time. 6 aIn this you greatly rejoice, even though now bfor a little while, cif necessary, you have been grieved by dvarious trials, 7 so that the aproof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, beven though tested by fire, cmay be found to result in praise and glory and honor at dthe revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 And athough you have not seen Him, you blove Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving as athe outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
10 aConcerning this salvation, the prophets, who bprophesied of the cgrace that would come to you, made careful searches and inquiries, 11 inquiring to know what time or what kind of time athe Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He was bpredicting the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been declared to you through those who aproclaimed the gospel to you by bthe Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which cangels long to look.
13 Therefore, having agirded your minds for action, bbeing sober in spirit, fix your chope completely on the dgrace to be brought to you at ethe revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As aobedient children, not bbeing conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your cignorance, 15 but alike the Holy One who called you, bbe holy yourselves also cin all your conduct; 16 because it is written, “aYou shall be holy, for I am holy.”
17 And if you aaddress as Father the One who bimpartially cjudges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves din fear during the time of your esojourn, 18 knowing that you were not aredeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your bfutile conduct inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious ablood, as of a blamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 He was aforeknown before bthe foundation of the world, but cappeared in these last times dfor the sake of you 21 who through Him are abelievers in God, who raised Him from the dead and bgave Him glory, so that your faith and chope are in God.
22 Since you have ain obedience to the truth bpurified your souls for a love of the brothers cwithout hypocrisy, fervently love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been aborn again bnot of corruptible seed but incorruptible, that is, through the living and enduring cword of God. 24 For,
“aAll flesh is like grass,
And all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
And the flower falls off,
25 aBut the word of the Lord endures forever.”
And this is bthe word which was proclaimed to you as good news.