ACV - I Peter

Chapter 1

1:1  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen who are sojourners of the Dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

1:2  chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you, and peace be multiplied.

1:3  Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who begot us again according to his abundant mercy for a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1:4  for an inheritance imperishable, and undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heavens for you,

1:5  men being kept by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1:6  In which ye greatly rejoice, although made sorrowful in various trials. Since it is now necessary for a little while,

1:7  so that the proof of your faith, much more precious than gold that perishes, and though proven by fire, may be found for praise and esteem and for glory at the revealing of Jesus Christ.

1:8  Whom, not having seen, ye love, in whom, not now seeing but believing, ye exult in inexpressible and glorified joy,

1:9  receiving back the outcome of your faith, the salvation of souls.

1:10  About which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently. Men who prophesied about the grace for you,

1:11  searching for what, or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ in them indicated, predicting the sufferings in Christ, and the glories after these things.

1:12  To whom it was revealed, that they were serving not themselves, but you, those things that were now reported to you by those who preached good news to you in the Holy Spirit, which was sent forth from heaven, into which things agents longed to stoop to see.

1:13  Therefore having girded up the loins of your mind, being sober, hope entirely for the grace brought to you at the revealing of Jesus Christ.

1:14  As children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves to the former desires in your ignorance,

1:15  but according to the Holy Man, he who called you, ye yourselves also become holy in all conduct,

1:16  because it is written, Become ye holy, since I am holy.

1:17  And if ye call on a Father, him who judges impartially according to each man's work, live the time of your sojourn in fear.

1:18  Knowing that ye were redeemed from your vain behavior inherited from fathers, not with perishable silver or gold,

1:19  but by precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and unspotted-of Christ,

1:20  who was indeed foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was manifested in the last times because of you:

1:21  men who, because of him, believe in God who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory, in order for your faith and hope to be in God;

1:22  men who have purified your souls in obedience of the truth through the Spirit for non-hypocritical brotherly love. Ye should love each other fervently from a pure heart,

1:23  begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God that lives and remains into the age.

1:24  Because all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as a flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower of it falls away,

1:25  but the word of the Lord endures into the age. And this is the word, the good news that was preached to you.

Chapter 2

2:1  Therefore, having put off all evil and all deceit and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speaking,

2:2  as newborn babes, long for the genuine intellectual milk, so that ye may grow by it,

2:3  if indeed ye have tasted that the Lord is excellent.

2:4  Coming to whom, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but with God chosen, precious,

2:5  ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

2:6  It is therefore contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, chosen, precious. And he who believes in him will, no, not be shamed.

2:7  To you therefore who believe is the preciousness, but for men who disobey, A stone that the builders rejected, this became the head of the corner,

2:8  and, A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, men who stumble at the word, being disobedient, for which also they were set.

2:9  But ye are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for an acquired possession, so that ye might broadly proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

2:10  Men formerly not a people, but now are a people of God. Men who had not obtained mercy, but who now have obtained mercy.

2:11  Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and sojourners, to abstain from the fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.

2:12  Having your behavior good among the Gentiles, so that, upon which they speak against you as evildoers, they may glorify God in the day of visitation, from having observed your good works.

2:13  Therefore because of the Lord, ye should submit to every human establishment, whether to a king as being supreme,

2:14  or to governors as being sent by him for vengeance of evildoers and praise of well-doers.

2:15  Because this way is the will of God, doing good to muzzle the ignorance of the foolish men.

2:16  As free, and not having your freedom as a cover-up of evil, but as bondmen of God.

2:17  Respect all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Respect the king.

2:18  Household servants, submitting to the masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wayward.

2:19  For this is graciousness, if, because of consciousness of God, any man endures sorrows, suffering wrongfully.

2:20  For what kind of credit is it, if, sinning and being beaten, ye will endure? But if, doing good and suffering, ye will endure, this is graciousness with God.

2:21  For ye were called for this. Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, so that ye should follow his footsteps.

2:22  Who did no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth.

2:23  Who, being reviled, did not revile in return. Suffering, he did not threaten, but yielded to him who judges righteously.

2:24  Who himself took up our sins in his body upon the tree, so that we, having died to sins, might live to the righteousness of him from whose wound ye were healed.

2:25  For ye were like sheep going astray, but now were returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

Chapter 3

3:1  Likewise the wives, being subordinate to their own husbands, so that even if any are disobedient to the word, they will be gained without a word by the behavior of the wives,

3:2  observing, in fear, your pure behavior.

3:3  Of which let it not be the outward world of braiding of hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on apparel,

3:4  but the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible, of the meek and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

3:5  For this way formerly also, the holy women, trusting in God, adorned themselves, being subordinate to their own husbands,

3:6  as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children ye became, doing good, and not being afraid of anything fearful.

3:7  Likewise the husbands living together knowledgeably, as with a weaker vessel, apportioning worth to the female as also joint-heirs of the grace of life, for your prayers not to be hindered.

3:8  And finally, all be like-minded, sympathetic, brother-loving, compassionate, friendly,

3:9  not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling, but instead giving praise, knowing that ye were called for this, so that ye might inherit a blessing.

3:10  For he who wants to love life, and see good days, let him restrain his tongue from evil, and his lips not to speak deceit.

3:11  Let him turn away from evil, and do good. Let him seek peace, and pursue it.

3:12  Because the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and his ears to their supplication, but the face of the Lord is against men who do evil things.

3:13  And who is he who will harm you, if ye become imitators of the good?

3:14  But even if ye should suffer because of righteousness, ye are blessed. But do not fear their terror nor be shaken,

3:15  but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. And always be ready for a defense to every man who asks you a word about the hope in you, with meekness and fear.

3:16  Having a good conscience, so that, in what they speak against you as of evildoers, they may be ashamed, those who revile your good behavior in Christ.

3:17  For it is better to suffer doing good, if the will of God desires, than for doing evil.

3:18  Because Christ also once suffered for sins, a righteous man for unrighteous men, so that he might bring you to God. Having indeed been killed in flesh, but made alive in spirit,

3:19  in which also, having gone, he preached to the spirits in prison

3:20  who were disobedient formerly, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah who prepared an ark in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water.

3:21  Which counterpart-immersion-now also saves us, not the putting away of filth of flesh, but an appeal of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

3:22  who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, agents, and positions of authority, and powers having been subordinated to him.

Chapter 4

4:1  Therefore of Christ having suffered in flesh for us, arm ye yourselves also with the same mentality, because he who has suffered in flesh has ceased from sin,

4:2  in order to live the remaining time in flesh, no longer by lusts of men, but by the will of God.

4:3  For enough time of life has past for you to accomplish the will of the Gentiles, having gone in debaucheries, lusts, excesses of wine, revelings, drinking parties, and lawless idolatries.

4:4  During which they think it strange of you not running together into the same pouring out of debauchery, while they slander.

4:5  Men who will give back an accounting to him who fares readily to judge the living and the dead.

4:6  For good news was preached even to the dead for this, so that they might indeed be judged according to men in flesh, but live according to God in spirit.

4:7  But the end of all things has approached. Therefore be serious, and be sober for the prayers.

4:8  And above all having fervent love for yourselves, because love will cover a multitude of sins,

4:9  stranger-loving toward each other without complaints.

4:10  As each has received a gift, serving it for yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

4:11  If any man speaks, as oracles of God. If any man serves, as of ability as God supplies. So that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory and the dominion into the ages of the ages. Truly.

4:12  Beloved, ye should not be surprised at the fieriness in you, which occurs for a trial to you, like a strange thing happening to you.

4:13  But rejoice in so far as ye are partakers in the sufferings of the Christ, so that also at the revealing of his glory ye may rejoice, having exceeding joy.

4:14  Blessed are ye if ye are reviled for the name of Christ, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. From them he is indeed blasphemed, but from you he is glorified.

4:15  For let not any man of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or as a busybody.

4:16  But if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this regard.

4:17  Because the time to begin judgment is from the house of God, and if first from us, what is the end of those who disobey the good news of God?

4:18  And if the righteous man is scarcely saved, where will the irreverent and sinful man appear?

4:19  Therefore also let those who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls as to a faithful Creator by well-doing.

Chapter 5

5:1  I, a fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of the Christ, and a partaker of the glory going be revealed, exhort the elders among you:

5:2  Tend ye the flock of God among you, watching over, not by obligation, but willingly, nor greedily, but readily,

5:3  nor as domineering over the lots, but becoming examples of the flock.

5:4  And when the chief Shepherd is made known, ye will receive the unfading crown of glory.

5:5  Likewise younger men should be subordinate to the elder men. And all being subordinate to each other, clothe yourselves with humility, because God sets himself against the haughty, but gives grace to the lowly.

5:6  Therefore be lowered under the mighty hand of God, so that he may lift you up in time,

5:7  having cast all your concern upon him, because he cares for you.

5:8  Be sober, be vigilant. Your opponent the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom to devour.

5:9  Whom resist, steadfast in the faith, knowing the same sufferings are to be accomplished in the world by your brotherhood.

5:10  And may the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus (after suffering a little while) himself thoroughly prepare you. He will establish, strengthen, and provide a foundation.

5:11  To him is the glory and the dominion into the ages of the ages. Truly.

5:12  By Silvanus, the faithful brother to you, as I reckon, I wrote because of a few things, exhorting and testifying this to be the true grace of God in which ye stand.

5:13  She in Babylon, chosen together, salutes you, and my son Mark.

5:14  Salute each other by a kiss of love. Peace to you, to all those in Christ Jesus. Truly.