The First Epistle General of Peter
1 Peter 1
PETER, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered
throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2 Elect 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.
3 Blessed 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,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not
away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye
are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That 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:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him
not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
10 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched
diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
11 Searching 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.
12 Unto 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.
13 Wherefore 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;
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the
former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all
manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
17 And 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:
18 Forasmuch 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;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world,
but was manifest in these last times for you,
21 Who 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.
22 Seeing 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:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by
the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For 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:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word
which by the gospel is preached unto you.
1 Peter 2
WHEREFORE laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies,
and envies, and all evil speakings,
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may
grow thereby:
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of
men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus
Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion
a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him
shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them
which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the
same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them
which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they
were appointed.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,
a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who
hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of
God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain
from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that,
whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good
works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake:
whether it be to the king, as supreme;
14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the
punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to
silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness,
but as the servants of God.
17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the
king.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the
good and gentle, but also to the froward.
19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God
endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye
shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye
take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for
us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered,
he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth
righteously:
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that
we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose
stripes ye were healed.
25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the
Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
1 Peter 3
LIKEWISE, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if
any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by
the conversation of the wives;
2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the
hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not
corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in
the sight of God of great price.
5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who
trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their
own husbands:
6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters
ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge,
giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being
heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another,
love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise
blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit
a blessing.
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his
tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue
it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are
open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that
do evil.
13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which
is good?
14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be
not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to
give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that
is in you with meekness and fear:
16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you,
as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good
conversation in Christ.
17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well
doing, than for evil doing.
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust,
that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but
quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering
of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing,
wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us
(not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a
good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels
and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
1 Peter 4
FORASMUCH then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm
yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in
the flesh hath ceased from sin;
2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the
lusts of men, but to the will of God.
3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the
will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess
of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same
excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and
the dead.
6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are
dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but
live according to God in the spirit.
7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and
watch unto prayer.
8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for
charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same
one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man
minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in
all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise
and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to
try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings;
that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with
exceeding joy.
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the
spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil
spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an
evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but
let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of
God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that
obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly
and the sinner appear?
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God
commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a
faithful Creator.
1 Peter 5
THE elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and
a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory
that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight
thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a
ready mind;
