1 P eter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

This letter is from Peter, a missionary of Jesus Christ. I am writing to those who were taken away from their homeland and are living in the countries of Pontus and Galatia and Cappadocia and Asia and Bithynia.

2 E lect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

You were chosen by God the Father long ago. He knew you were to become His children. You were set apart for holy living by the Holy Spirit. May you obey Jesus Christ and be made clean by His blood. May you be full of His loving-favor and peace.

3 B lessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Let us thank the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was through His loving-kindness that we were born again to a new life and have a hope that never dies. This hope is ours because Jesus was raised from the dead.

4 T o an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

We will receive the great things that we have been promised. They are being kept safe in heaven for us. They are pure and will not pass away. They will never be lost.

5 W ho are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

You are being kept by the power of God because you put your trust in Him and you will be saved from the punishment of sin at the end of the world.

6 W herein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

With this hope you can be happy even if you need to have sorrow and all kinds of tests for awhile.

7 T hat the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

These tests have come to prove your faith and to show that it is good. Gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire. Your faith is worth much more than gold and it must be tested also. Then your faith will bring thanks and shining-greatness and honor to Jesus Christ when He comes again.

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

You have never seen Him but you love Him. You cannot see Him now but you are putting your trust in Him. And you have joy so great that words cannot tell about it.

9 R eceiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

You will get what your faith is looking for, which is to be saved from the punishment of sin.

10 O f which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

The early preachers tried to find out how to be saved. They told of the loving-favor that would come to you.

11 S earching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

The early preachers wondered at what time or to what person this would happen. The Spirit of Christ in them was talking to them and told them to write about how Christ would suffer and about His shining-greatness later on.

12 U nto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

They knew these things would not happen during the time they lived but while you are living many years later. These are the very things that were told to you by those who preached the Good News. The Holy Spirit Who was sent from heaven gave them power and they told of things that even the angels would like to know about. Holy Living

13 W herefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Get your minds ready for good use. Keep awake. Set your hope now and forever on the loving-favor to be given you when Jesus Christ comes again.

14 A s obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

Be like children who obey. Do not desire to sin like you used to when you did not know any better.

15 B ut as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

Be holy in every part of your life. Be like the Holy One Who chose you.

16 B ecause it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

The Holy Writings say, “You must be holy, for I am holy.”

17 A nd if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

The Father is the One Who judges you by what you do. He does not respect one person more than another. If you call Him Father, be sure you honor Him with love and fear all the days of your life here on earth.

18 F orasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

You know you were not bought and made free from sin by paying gold or silver which comes to an end. And you know you were not saved from the punishment of sin by the way of life that you were given from your early fathers. That way of life was worth nothing.

19 B ut with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

The blood of Christ saved you. This blood is of great worth and no amount of money can buy it. Christ was given as a lamb without sin and without spot.

20 W ho verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

Long before the world was made, God chose Christ to be given to you in these last days.

21 W ho by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Because of Christ, you have put your trust in God. He raised Christ from the dead and gave Him great honor. So now your faith and hope are in God. The Living Word

22 S eeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

You have made your souls pure by obeying the truth through the Holy Spirit. This has given you a true love for the Christians. Let it be a true love from the heart.

23 B eing born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

You have been given a new birth. It was from a seed that cannot die. This new life is from the Word of God which lives forever.

24 F or all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

All people are like grass. Their greatness is like the flowers. The grass dries up and the flowers fall off.

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

But the Word of the Lord will last forever. That Word is the Good News which was preached to you.