1 Peter 1

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

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

³ Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy has given us a new birthinto a living hope through 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 foryou

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

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

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

⁸ You have not seen him, yet you love him; and stil without seeing him you believe in him and so arealready fil ed with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described;

⁹ and you are sure of the goal of your faith, that is, the salvation of your souls.

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

¹¹ searching out the time and circumstances for which the Spirit of Christ, bearing witness in them, wasrevealing the sufferings of Christ and the glories to fol ow them.

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

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

¹⁴ Do not al ow yourselves to be shaped by the passions of your old ignorance,

¹⁵ but as obedient children, be yourselves holy in al your activity, after the model of the Holy One whocal s us,

¹⁶ since scripture says, 'Be 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.

¹⁸ For you know that the price of your ransom from the futile way of life handed down from yourancestors was paid, not in anything perishable like silver or gold,

¹⁹ but in precious blood as of a blameless and spotless lamb, Christ.

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

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

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

²³ for your new birth was not from any perishable seed but from imperishable seed, the living andenduring Word of God.

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

²⁵ but the Word of the Lord remains for ever. And this Word is the Good News that has been brought toyou.