1 P eter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the choice sojourners of the dispersion of 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 a foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: 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 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to the abundance of His kindness did beget us again to a living hope, through the rising again of Jesus Christ out of 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 unfading, reserved in the heavens 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, in the power of God are being guarded, 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 i n which ye are glad, a little now, if it be necessary, being made to sorrow in manifold 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 -- much more precious than of gold that is perishing, and through fire being approved -- may be found to praise, and honour, and glory, in 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 seen, ye love, in whom, now not seeing and believing, ye are glad with joy unspeakable and glorified,

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 -- salvation of souls;

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

10 c oncerning which salvation seek out and search out did prophets who concerning the grace toward you did prophecy,

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 in regard to what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ that was in them was manifesting, testifying beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory after these,

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 whom it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to us they were ministering these, which now were told to you (through those who did proclaim good news to you,) in the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, to which things messengers do desire to bend looking.

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 having girded up the loins of your mind, being sober, hope perfectly upon the grace that is being brought to you in 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 to the former desires 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 according as He who did call you holy, ye also, become holy in all behaviour,

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

16 b ecause it hath been written, `Become ye holy, because I am holy;'

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

17 a nd if on the Father ye do call, who without acceptance of persons is judging according to the work of each, in fear the time of your sojourn pass ye,

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 h aving known that, not with corruptible things -- silver or gold -- were ye redeemed from your foolish behaviour delivered by 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 lamb unblemished and unspotted -- Christ's --

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 f oreknown, indeed, before the foundation of the world, and manifested in the last times because of you,

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

21 w ho through him do believe in God, who did raise out of the dead, and glory to him did give, so that your faith and hope may 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 Y our souls having purified in the obedience of the truth through the Spirit to brotherly love unfeigned, out of a pure heart one another love ye earnestly,

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 begotten again, not out of seed corruptible, but incorruptible, through a word of God -- living and remaining -- to the age;

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 b ecause all flesh as grass, and all glory of man as flower of grass; wither did the grass, and the flower of it fell away,

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

25 a nd the saying of the Lord doth remain -- to the age; and this is the saying that was proclaimed good news to you.

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