Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen ones who are
living as strangers in the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia,

according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ
and be sprinkled in his blood: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
according to his great mercy became our father again to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

to an
incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn't fade away,
reserved in heaven for you,

who by the power of God are guarded
through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if
need be, you have been put to grief in various trials,

that the
proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes
even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise,
glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ --

whom not
having known you love; in whom, though now you don't see him, yet
believing, you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory
--

receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your
souls.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets sought and
searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to
you,

searching for who or what kind of time the Spirit of
Christ, which was in them, pointed to, when he predicted the sufferings
of Christ, and the glories that would follow them.

To them it
was revealed, that not to themselves, but to you, did they minister
these things, which now have been announced to you through those who
preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent out from heaven;
which things angels desire to look into.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, be sober and set
your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ --

as children of obedience, not
conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as in your
ignorance,

but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves
also be holy in all of your behavior;

because it is written,
"You shall be holy; for I am holy."

If you call on him as
Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man's
work, pass the time of your living as strangers here in reverent fear:

knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things,
with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your
fathers,

but with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot, the
blood of Christ;

who was foreknown indeed before the foundation
of the world, but was revealed at the end of times for your sake,

who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the
dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God.

Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the
truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one
another from the heart fervently:

having been born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which
lives and remains forever.

For,
"All flesh is like grass,
 And all of man's glory like the flower in the grass.
The grass withers, and its flower falls;

But the Lord's word endures forever."

 This is the word of good news which was preached to you.

Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit,
hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,

as newborn babes,
long for the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby,

if
indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious:

coming to him,
a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious.

You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to
be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to
God through Jesus Christ.

Because it is contained in Scripture,
"Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious:
 He who believes in him will not be put to shame."

For you therefore who believe is the honor, but for such as
are disobedient,
"The stone which the builders rejected,
 Has become the chief cornerstone,"

and,
"A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense."

 For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they
were appointed.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may show forth
the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light:

who in time past were no people, but now are
God's people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from
fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

having good behavior
among the nations, so in that which they speak against you as
evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in
the day of visitation.

Therefore subject yourselves to every
ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as supreme;

or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and
for praise to those who do well.

For this is the will of God,
that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish
men:

as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of
wickedness, but as bondservants of God.

Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the
king.

Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear;
not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked.

For it
is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of
conscience toward God.

For what glory is it if, when you sin,
you patiently endure beating? But if, when you do well, you patiently
endure suffering, this is commendable with God.

For to this you
were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an
example, that you should follow his steps,

who did not sin,
"neither was deceit found in his mouth."

Who, when he was
reviled, didn't revile back. When he suffered, didn't threaten, but
committed himself to him who judges righteously;

who his own
self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to
sins, might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.

For you were going astray like sheep; but are now returned to
the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

In like manner, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands;
so that, even if any don't obey the Word, they may be won by the
behavior of their wives without a word;

seeing your pure behavior
in fear.

Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of
braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine
clothing;

but in the hidden person of the heart, in the
incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is in the
sight of God very precious.

For this is how the holy women
before, who hoped in God, also adorned themselves, being in subjection
to their own husbands:

as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord,
whose children you now are, if you do well, and are not put in fear by
any terror.

You husbands, in like manner, live with your wives according
to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as
being also joint heirs of the grace of life; that your prayers may not
be hindered.

Finally, be all like-minded, compassionate, loving as
brothers, tenderhearted, courteous,

not rendering evil for evil,
or reviling for reviling; but instead blessing; knowing that to this
were you called, that you may inherit a blessing.

For,
"He who would love life,
 And see good days,
Let him keep his tongue from evil,
 And his lips from speaking deceit.

Let him turn away 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 prayer;
 But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

Now who is he who will harm you, if you become imitators of
that which is good?

But even if you should suffer for
righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "Don't fear what they fear,
neither be troubled."

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts;
and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason
concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear:

having a good conscience; that, while you are spoken against as
evildoers, they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life
in Christ.

For it is better, if the will of God should so will,
that you suffer for doing well than for doing evil.

Because
Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous,
that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but
made alive in the spirit;

in which he also went and preached to
the spirits in prison,

who before were disobedient, when the
longsuffering of God waited patiently in the days of Noah, while the
ark was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved
through water.

This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you
- not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a
good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels
and authorities and powers being made subject to him.

Forasmuch then as Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm
yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the
flesh has ceased from sin;

that you no longer should live the
rest of your time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will
of God.

For we have spent enough of our past time living in doing
the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lewdness, lusts,
drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.

They think it is strange that you don't run with them into the same
excess of riot, blaspheming:

who will give account to him who is
ready to judge the living and the dead.

For to this end was the
gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed as
men in the flesh, but live as to God in the spirit.

But the end
of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and
sober in prayer.

And above all things be earnest in your love
among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Be
hospitable one to another without grumbling.

According as each
has received a gift, be ministering it among yourselves, as good
stewards of the grace of God in its various forms.

If any man
speaks, let it be as it were oracles of God. If any man serves, let it
be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be
glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the
dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Beloved, don't be astonished at the fiery trial which has
come upon you, to test you, as though a strange thing happened to you.

But because you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice;
that at the revelation of his glory also you may rejoice with exceeding
joy.

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are
you; because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. On their part
he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified.

For let none
of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil doer, or as a
meddler in other men's matters.

But if one of you suffers for
being a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in
this matter.

For the time has come for judgment to begin at the
house of God. If it begins first with us, what will happen to those who
don't obey the gospel of God?

"If it is hard for the righteous
to be saved, what will happen to the ungodly and the sinner?"

Therefore let them also who suffer according to the will of God in
doing good entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator.

I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder, and a
witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the
glory that will be revealed.

Shepherd the flock of God which is
among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but
voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly;

neither as
lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves
examples to the flock.

When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you
will receive the crown of glory that doesn't fade away.

Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all
of you gird yourselves with humility, to subject yourselves to one
another; for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he
may exalt you in due time;

casting all your worries on him,
because he cares for you.

Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary the
devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers
who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings.

But may
the God of all grace (who called you to his eternal glory by Christ
Jesus), after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish,
strengthen, and settle you.

To him be the glory and the power
forever and ever. Amen.

Through Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I consider him, I
have written to you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the
true grace of God in which you stand.

She who is in Babylon,
elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark, my son.

Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in
Christ Jesus. Amen.