1 ¶ Peter, apostle of Jesus, the Christ, to the strangers scattered in Pontus, in Galatia, in Cappadocia, in Asia, and in Bithynia,

Peter, an apostle (a special messenger) of Jesus Christ, to the elect exiles of the dispersion scattered (sowed) abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2 c hosen (according to the foreknowledge of God the Father) in sanctification of the Spirit, to obey and be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus, the Christ, Grace and peace, be multiplied unto you.

Who were chosen and foreknown by God the Father and consecrated (sanctified, made holy) by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and to be sprinkled with blood: May grace (spiritual blessing) and peace be given you in increasing abundance '> realized in and through Christ, freedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts].

3 ¶ Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Christ, who according to his great mercy has begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ, from the dead,

Praised (honored, blessed) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)! By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 u nto the incorruptible inheritance that cannot be defiled and that does not fade away, conserved in the heavens for you,

into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay, unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,

5 w ho are kept in the virtue of God by faith, to attain unto the saving health which is made ready to be manifested in the last time.

Who are being guarded (garrisoned) by God’s power through faith '> final] salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 ¶ In which ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are afflicted in diverse temptations,

be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations,

7 t hat the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold (which perishes, nevertheless it is tried with fire), might be found unto praise and glory and honour when Jesus, the Christ, is made manifest;

So that of your faith may be tested, which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. to redound to praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed.

8 w hom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though at present ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory;

Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy.

9 r eceiving the end of your faith, even the saving health of your souls.

you receive the result (outcome, consummation) of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 ¶ Of which saving health the prophets, (who prophesied of the grace that was to come in you) have enquired and searched diligently;

The prophets, who prophesied of the grace (divine blessing) which was intended for you, searched and inquired earnestly about this salvation.

11 s earching when and in what point of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, which announced beforehand the afflictions that were to come upon the Christ, and the glory that should follow them.

They sought to whom or when this was to come which the Spirit of Christ working within them was indicating when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow.

12 U nto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us they did administer the things, which are now announced unto you by those that have preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into.

It was then disclosed to them that the services they were rendering were not meant for themselves and their period of time, but for you. things which have now already been made known plainly to you by those who preached the good news (the Gospel) to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Into these things angels long to look!

13 ¶ Therefore, having the loins of your understanding girded with temperance, wait perfectly in the grace that is presented unto you when Jesus, the Christ, is manifested unto you,

So brace up your minds; be sober (circumspect, morally alert); set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favor) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed.

14 a s obedient sons, not conforming yourselves with the former desires that you had before in your ignorance,

as children of obedience; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires in your former ignorance.

15 b ut as he who has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living.

16 f or it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy.

17 A nd if ye invoke as Father, he who without respect of persons judges according to the work of each one, converse in fear the entire time of your sojourning here,

And if you call upon Him as Father Who judges each one impartially according to what he does, you should conduct yourselves with true reverence throughout the time of your temporary residence.

18 k nowing that ye have been ransomed from your vain conversation (which you received from your fathers), not with corruptible things like silver and gold,

You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from forefathers, not with corruptible things silver and gold,

19 b ut with the precious blood of the Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without contamination,

But with the precious blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

20 a lready ordained from before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for love of you,

It is true that He was chosen and foreordained (destined and foreknown for it) before the foundation of the world, but He was brought out to public view (made manifest) in these last days (at the end of the times) for the sake of you.

21 w ho by him do believe God, who raised him up from the dead and has given him glory: that your faith and hope might be in God.

Through Him you believe in (adhere to, rely on) God, Who raised Him up from the dead and gave Him honor and glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 H aving purified your souls in the obedience of the truth, by the Spirit, in unfeigned brotherly love, love one another with a pure heart fervently,

Since by your obedience to the Truth through the Spirit you have purified your hearts for the sincere affection of the brethren, love one another fervently from a pure heart.

23 b eing born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever.

You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin ( seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God.

24 ¶ For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away,

For all flesh (mankind) is like grass, and all its glory (honor) like flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower drops off,

25 b ut the word of the Lord endures for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

But the Word of the Lord ( divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever. And this Word is the good news which was preached to you.