Peter, an envoy of Anointed Jesus,
to chosen ones, strangers scattered to Pontus, Galatia, Kappadokia, Asia, and Bithunia, chosen according to the foreknowledge of Father God, chosen in holiness of spirit, chosen to listen to God and for a sprinkling of the blood of Anointed Jesus:
May generosity and peace be abundant for you.
1:3 Praised be God, the Father of our Lord, Anointed Jesus, who fathered us according to his great mercy
up to a living hope, through resurrecting Anointed Jesus from among the dead,
to an incorruptible, and undefiled, and unfading inheritance, which has been kept in the heavens for you who are being guarded by God's power through trust into a salvation which is ready to be revealed in the last season.
6 Be glad about this, though (since it is necessary) for some time now you have been sorrowful in the midst of various trials, so that the proof of your trust (which is much more valuable than gold which is destroyed though tested by fire) may be found to result in praise and glory and honor, at the revealing of Anointed Jesus. You love him without having seen him. But without now looking, you trust in him and rejoice with an unspeakable and glorified joy, as you obtain the result of your trust: the salvation of souls.
About this salvation those prophets who prophesied about the generosity that is directed at you sought out and examined thoroughly. They were examining to determine what people or what season the spirit of the Anointed One within them was pointing toward when it was testifying in advance about the sufferings for the Anointed One and the glorious things to follow. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you in those things, which have now been declared to you through those who announced the good message to you with holy breath sent out from heaven. Messengers strongly desire to gaze at these things.
13 So, armor the loins of your minds and be vigilant, and hope completely in the generosity that is being brought to you at the revelation of Anointed Jesus. As children who listen, do not conform yourselves to the former strong desires in your mindlessness, but become holy ones in all conduct, according to the fact that the one who called you is holy. And so it was written that, "You will be holy ones because I am holy."
And if you call on the Father, who judges according to each one's work, without personal bias, then conduct the season of your stay here in fear, knowing that it was not with corruptible things, silver or gold, that you were redeemed from your worthless conduct that was handed down by your ancestors, but with valuable blood--the Anointed One's blood--like that of a spotless and unblemished lamb. This was indeed known earlier, before the creation was laid down, but it was made to appear in the last of seasons on your account. You are the ones who trust in God through him--in the one who raised him up from among the dead and gave him glory. And so, your trust and hope are in God.
Since you have purified your souls by listening to the truth to the point of having brotherly love without hypocrisy, love one another fervently from the heart, since you were born not of a corruptible seed but of an incorruptible one, through God's living and continuing message. Because "all flesh is like an herb, and all its glory is like an herb's flower. The herbwithered, and the flower fell off, but Yahweh's declaration continues for the age." Now this is the good message that was announced to you.
2:1 Therefore, put away every bad thing (including all deceit, and hypocrisies, and envy, and all harsh talking) and long for the rational milk, like newborn babies, so that by it you may grow into salvation, if you "taste that the Lord is an advantage."
Go near to him, the living "stone which was" indeed "rejected" by people but was "chosen and valuable" to God. And let yourselves be constructed like living stones to be a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices (through the Anointed One) that are a delight to God. Because it is containted in writing, "Look! I am placing a stone in Zion, a corner foundation, a chosen, valuable one. And the one who trusts in it will not be disgraced."
Therefore, the value is for you who trust. However, for those who are untrusting "the stone that was rejected by the builders, this one has become the cornerstone," and, "a stone of tripping and a rock of stumbling." Those who trip are unpersuaded by the message for which they were laid down.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for "God's possession," so that you may declare the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. You are those who were once "not a people" but now are a people of God, those who once "did not receive mercy" but now have received mercy.
11 Beloved ones: I am advising you, as travellers and strangers, to abstain from the strong fleshly desires that war against the soul. Have your conduct be good among the nations, so that in whatever harsh thing they might say about you as wrongdoers, they would look on your good deeds and glorify God "in the day of oversight."
Be submissive to every human being on the Lord's account: whether to the Emperor as superior, or to those who govern as if they were sent by him to exact justice on wrongdoers (but praise to those who do good). Because this is what God wants: that in doing good you would silence the ignorance of mindless people. Submit as free people, and not as though you have freedom covering wrong. On the contrary, do it as God's slaves.
Value all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Value the Emperor.
The household servants should be submissive in all fear to their masters, not only to the good and gentle ones but also to the twisted ones. For this is generosity: if someone, through being conscious of God, endures sorrows and suffers unjustly. For what credit is it if you are sinning and endure a beating for it? But if you are doing good and endure suffering, this is favor with God. For you were called into this because the Anointed One also suffered on your behalf, leaving a copy behind for you so that you might follow in his footsteps: he didn't sin, "nor was any deceit found in his mouth." When he was verbally abused, he did not verbally abuse in return. When suffering, he did not threaten. Instead, he gave himself up to the one who judges justly.
"He took our sins" in his body to the tree, so that we who have been made to leave our sins might live for what is right. You were healed "by his scars." For you were "like sheep going astray," but you have now turned back to the shepherd and overseer of your lives.
3:1 In the same way, you wives should be submitting yourselves to your own husbands, so that if also some of them are unpersuaded by the message, they might be gained without a word through their wives' conduct, after seeing that your conduct is pure in fear. Don't let your adornment be what is external: braiding your hair, putting on golden chains, or wearingattractive clothes. On the contrary, adorn the person hidden in your heart with the incorruptible thing: a meek and tranquil spirit, which is very valuable in God's presence. For in this way also, those earlier holy women who hoped in God adorned themselves and submitted to their own husbands, just as Sarah paid attention to Abraham, calling him "sir." You have become her children by doing good and not fearing a single fright.
In the same way, so that your prayers will not be hindered, you husbands should submit, dwelling with your wife according to knowledge as with a weaker vessel, and assigning her value, since you are also joint-heirs of the free gift of life.
Now finally, you should all have the same attitude: be sympathizers, people who love the brothers, compassionate people, people with humble attitudes. Do not repay bad with bad, nor verbal abuse with verbal abuse. But on the contrary, say good things, because you were called into this so that you would inherit praise.
For "the one who wants to love life and see good days should restrain his tongue from wrong and his lips from speaking deceit." Now "he should bow out of wrong and do good. He should seek peace and pursue it, because Yahweh's eyes are on the just, and his ears are directed toward their prayers. But Yahweh's face scowls on those who do wrong."
13 And who is the one who will do bad things to you if you become jealous for what is good? On the contrary, if you suffer on account of what is right, you are also blessed. "But do not fear with their fear, nor be alarmed." Instead, "make Yahweh o holy" in your hearts, always being prepared to give a defense to all the people who ask you for an account of the hope that is in you. But have a good conscience with meekness and fear, so that those who slander your good conduct in the Anointed One might be disgraced by what they say against you.
For, if God's will may want it, it is better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong, because the Anointed One also suffered once for sins--the just one on behalf of the unjust ones--so that you he might lead you to God. Indeed, he was put to death physically but made alive spiritually, in which manner also Henoch went and heralded to those spirits in jail who at one time were unpersuaded, while God's longsuffering nature was waiting, in Noah's days, while an ark was being prepared in which a few (that is, eight) lives were saved through water. Now also, an antitype of this, baptism, saves us--not the removal of physical dirt but an inquiry of God by a good conscience--through the resurrection of Anointed Jesus, who went into heaven and is at God's right side, with messengers and authorities and powers submitting to him.
4:1 Therefore, since the Anointed One suffered physically, you too should arm yourselves with the same thought--because the one who has suffered physically has stopped sinning--to the point of no longer living the remaining time in the flesh according to strong human desire but according to what God wants.
For the time which has gone by is enough to have worked out what the gentiles want, who walked in debauchery, in strong desires, in alcoholic excess, in orgies, in drinking parties, and in unlawful idolatries. They are surprised that you are not running together with them in the same course of imprudent excess and evil speaking. They will return an account to the one who holds judgment over living and dead. Since for this reason the good message was announced also to dead people, so that indeed they would be judged physically according to human beings but would live spiritually according to God.
7 Now the aim of all things is near. Therefore, have a sound attitude and be vigilant in prayers. Before all things, have fervent love for one another, because "love covers a multitude ofsins." Be loving to strangers among one another without grumbling. Just as each person has received a free gift, you should use it to serve among yourselves, like nice stewards of God's diverse generosity.
If someone speaks, it should be as the oracles of God. I someone serves, it should be as out of the strength which God supplies, so that in all things God might be glorified through Anointed Jesus. To him be glory and might for ever and ever. A-mein.
12 Beloved ones: don't be surprised at the flaming trial which is happening to you, as though a strange thing were befalling you. On the contrary, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of the Anointed One, so that you may rejoice and be glad at the revelation of his glory. If you are reproached in the Anointed One's name, you are blessed, because "the spirit" of glory and "of God is resting on you." For no one among you should suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a wrongdoer, or as a meddler. But if he suffers as an Anointed, he should not be ashamed. Instead, he should glorify God in this name.
Because the season is here to begin the judgment with God's house. Now if it is first for us, what will be the end result for those who are unpersuaded by God's good message? And "if the just person is scarcely saved, where will the impious and sinner appear?" And so, those who are suffering according to what God wants should also commit themselves to a trustworthy creator by doing good.
5:1 Therefore, as an older person, and as a witness of the sufferings of the Anointed One, and as a partner in the glory that is about to be revealed, I advise the older people among you: Feed God's flock among you, not by constraint but by choice, not for financial profit but eagerly, not as being lords of the land but becoming types for the flock. And when the First Shepherd appears, you will obtain the unfading crown of glory.
In the same way, you younger people should be submissive to the older ones.
Now all of you should submit to one another and be clothed in humility, because God "stands opposed to the high-minded, but he gives favor to the humble." Therefore, be humbled under God's mighty hand, so that he may lift you up in a season. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares about you. Be sober. Be vigilant. Your opponent, an accuser, walks around "like a roaring lion" seeking someone to devour. Stand against him. Be steadfast in trust, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being completed by the brotherhood in the world. But the God of all generosity, who has called you into his eternal glory in Anointed Jesus after you have suffered for a short time, will confirm, strengthen, and establish you. Might is his for the age. A-mein.
12 Through Silvanus, your trustworthy brother as I record it, I have written briefly, advising and testifying that this is the true generosity of God. Stand in it. The woman in "Babylon" greets you. My son Markus does also. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in the Anointed One.