1 P eter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen ones who are living as foreigners in the Dispersion in 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 a ccording to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: Grace to 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, who according to his great mercy became our father again to a living hope through 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 incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade 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 by the power of God are guarded through faith for a 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 you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been put to grief in various trials,

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 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—

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 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—

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 result of your faith, 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 C oncerning this salvation, the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to 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 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.

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 T o them it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to you, they ministered these things, which now have been announced to you through those who preached the Good News to you by the Holy Spirit sent out from heaven; which things 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 T herefore 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—

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 children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as 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 just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior;

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

16 b ecause it is written, “You shall be holy; for I am holy.”

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

17 I f 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 foreigners here in reverent 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 k nowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down 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 precious blood, as of a faultless and pure lamb, the blood of Christ;

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

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

21 w ho 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.

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 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:

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

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 like grass, and all of man’s glory like the flower in the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls;

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

25 b ut the Lord’s word endures forever.” This is the word of Good News which was preached to you.

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