1 Peter 1
1
Greeting
1 Peter, entrusted by Jesus Christ with apostolic authority,
To the chosen ones who live as exiles scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2 chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, resulting in obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Ascription of Blessing to God
3 Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His abundant mercy has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncontaminated, and unfading, kept safe in heaven for you,
5 who are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation prepared to be disclosed in the final age.
6 In this reality you rejoice greatly, even though presently for a brief period, if it must be so, you have been distressed by various trials,
7 in order that the proven genuineness of your faith—far more precious than gold that perishes despite being refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
8 Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and greatly rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy,
9 as you receive the outcome of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
10 Regarding this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace promised to you searched diligently and investigated carefully,
11 seeking to discover what person or what time the Spirit of Christ within them was pointing to when He testified in advance about the sufferings prepared for Christ and the glories that would follow them.
12 It was disclosed to them that they were serving not their own interests but yours, concerning the very matters that have now been proclaimed to you through those who announced the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—matters that angels desire to examine closely.
Called to Be Holy
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action and exercising self-discipline, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 As children characterized by obedience, do not allow yourselves to be shaped by the desires that formerly controlled you in your ignorance.
15 Rather, just as the One who summoned you is holy, so you yourselves must become holy in your entire way of life,
16 because it stands written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”*
17 And since you address as Father the One who judges each person impartially based on that person's deeds, conduct yourselves with reverent fear throughout the period of your temporary residence on earth,
18 recognizing that you were ransomed from the empty way of life handed down from your ancestors, not with perishable commodities such as silver or gold,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.
20 He was foreknown before the world’s foundation but was manifested in these final times for your sake—
21 you who through Him trust in God, who raised Him from the dead and granted Him glory, so that your faith and hope rest in God.
The Abiding Word
22 Having purified your souls through obedience to the truth for genuine brotherly affection, love one another deeply from a pure heart,
23 for you have been born anew, not from perishable seed but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
24 For “all flesh is like grass,
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers
and the flower drops off,
25 but the Lord’s word endures forever.”*
This is the word that was proclaimed to you as good news.
Notes
16 Quoted from Lev. 11:44
25 Quoted from Is. 40:6, 8
Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
