1 Peter 1-2
Easy-to-Read Version
1 Greetings from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.

To God’s chosen people who are away from their homes—people scattered all over the areas of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 2 God planned long ago to choose you and to make you his holy people, which is the Spirit’s work. God wanted you to obey him and to be made clean by the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

I pray that you will enjoy more and more of God’s grace and peace.

A Living Hope
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has great mercy, and because of his mercy he gave us a new life. This new life brings us a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death. 4 Now we wait to receive the blessings God has for his children. These blessings are kept for you in heaven. They cannot be ruined or be destroyed or lose their beauty.

5 God’s power protects you through your faith, and it keeps you safe until your salvation comes. That salvation is ready to be given to you at the end of time. 6 I know the thought of that is exciting, even if you must suffer through different kinds of troubles for a short time now. 7 These troubles test your faith and prove that it is pure. And such faith is worth more than gold. Gold can be proved to be pure by fire, but gold will ruin. When your faith is proven to be pure, the result will be praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ comes.

8 You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You can’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are filled with a wonderful and heavenly joy that cannot be explained. 9 Your faith has a goal, and you are reaching that goal—your salvation.

10 The prophets studied carefully and tried to learn about this salvation. They spoke about the grace that was coming to you. 11 The Spirit of Christ was in those prophets. And the Spirit was telling about the sufferings that would happen to Christ and about the glory that would come after those sufferings. The prophets tried to learn about what the Spirit was showing them—when it would happen and what the world would be like at that time.

12 It was made clear to them that their service was not for themselves. They were serving you when they told about the things you have now heard. You heard them from those who told you the Good News with the help of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even the angels would like very much to know more about these things you were told.

A Call to Holy Living
13 So prepare your minds for service. With complete self-control put all your hope in the grace that will be yours when Jesus Christ comes. 14 In the past you did not have the understanding you have now, so you did the evil things you wanted to do. But now you are children of God, so you should obey him and not live the way you did before. 15 Be holy in everything you do, just as God is holy. He is the one who chose you. 16 In the Scriptures God says, “Be holy, because I am holy.”

17 You pray to God and call him Father, but he will judge everyone the same way—by what they do. So while you are visiting here on earth, you should live with respect for God. 18 You know that in the past the way you were living was useless. It was a way of life you learned from those who lived before you. But you were saved from that way of living. You were bought, but not with things that ruin like gold or silver. 19 You were bought with the precious blood of Christ’s death. He was a pure and perfect sacrificial Lamb. 20 Christ was chosen before the world was made, but he was shown to the world in these last times for you. 21 You believe in God through Christ. God is the one who raised him from death and gave honor to him. So your faith and your hope are in God.

22 You have made yourselves pure by obeying the truth. Now you can have true love for your brothers and sisters. So love each other deeply—with all your heart. 23 You have been born again. This new life did not come from something that dies. It came from something that cannot die. You were born again through God’s life-giving message that lasts forever. 24 The Scriptures say,

“Our lives are like the grass of spring,
and any glory we enjoy is like the beauty of a wildflower.
The grass dries up and dies,
and the flower falls to the ground.
25 But the word of the Lord lasts forever.”

And that word is the Good News that was told to you.

The Living Stone and the Holy Nation
2 So then, stop doing anything to hurt others. Don’t lie anymore, and stop trying to fool people. Don’t be jealous or say bad things about others. 2 Like newborn babies hungry for milk, you should want the pure teaching that feeds your spirit. With it you can grow up and be saved. 3 You have already tasted the goodness of the Lord.

4 The Lord Jesus is the living stone. The people of the world decided that they did not want this stone. But he is the one God chose as one of great value. So come to him. 5 You also are like living stones, and God is using you to build a spiritual house. You are to serve God in this house as holy priests, offering him spiritual sacrifices that he will accept because of Jesus Christ. 6 The Scriptures say,

“Look, I have chosen a cornerstone of great value,
and I put that stone in Zion.
Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.”

7 So, that stone brings honor for you who believe. But for those who don’t believe he is

“the stone that the builders refused to accept,
which became the most important stone.”

8 For them he is also

“a stone that makes people stumble,
a rock that makes people fall.”

People stumble because they don’t obey what God says. This is what God planned to happen to those people.

9 But you are his chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light.

10 In the past you were not a special people,
but now you are God’s people.
Once you had not received mercy,
but now God has given you his mercy.

Live for God
11 Dear friends, you are like visitors and strangers in this world. So I beg you to keep your lives free from the evil things you want to do, those desires that fight against your true selves. 12 People who don’t believe are living all around you. They may say that you are doing wrong. So live such good lives that they will see the good you do, and they will give glory to God on the day he comes.

Obey Every Human Authority
13 Be willing to serve the people who have authority in this world. Do this for the Lord. Obey the king, the highest authority. 14 And obey the leaders who are sent by the king. They are sent to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do good. 15 When you do good, you stop ignorant people from saying foolish things about you. This is what God wants. 16 Live like free people, but don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live as those who are serving God. 17 Show respect for all people. Love your brothers and sisters in God’s family. Respect God, and honor the king.

The Example of Christ’s Suffering
18 Slaves, be willing to serve your masters. Do this with all respect. You should obey the masters who are good and kind, and you should obey the masters who are bad. 19 One of you might have to suffer even when you have done nothing wrong. If you think of God and bear the pain, this pleases God. 20 But if you are punished for doing wrong, there is no reason to praise you for bearing that punishment. But if you suffer for doing good and you are patient, this pleases God. 21 This is what you were chosen to do. Christ gave you an example to follow. He suffered for you. So you should do the same as he did:

22 “He never sinned,
and he never told a lie.”

23 People insulted him, but he did not insult them back. He suffered, but he did not threaten anyone. No, he let God take care of him. God is the one who judges rightly. 24 Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you were healed. 25 You were like sheep that went the wrong way. But now you have come back to the Shepherd and Protector of your lives.

Footnotes
1 Peter 1:2 made clean … sacrifice Or “sprinkled with the blood,” which probably compares the beginning of the new agreement by the blood sacrifice of Christ (Mk. 14:24) with Moses’ sprinkling the blood of animal sacrifices on the people of Israel to seal the agreement God made with them (Ex. 24:3- . See also Heb. 9:15-26.
1 Peter 1:16 Quote from Lev. 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7.
1 Peter 2:4 stone The most important stone in God’s spiritual temple or house (his people).
1 Peter 2:5 house God’s house—the place where God’s people worship him. Here, it means that believers are the spiritual building where God lives.
1 Peter 2:10 In the past … his mercy See Hos. 2:23.
1 Peter 2:13 people … authority Literally, “every human creation,” meaning rulers, governors, presidents, or other government leaders.
1 Peter 1-2
New King James Version
Greeting to the Elect Pilgrims
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

A Heavenly Inheritance
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.

Living Before God Our Father
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

The Enduring Word
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because

“All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

Our Inheritance Through Christ’s Blood
2 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,

“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”

8 and

“A stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense.”

They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Living Before the World
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Submission to Government
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Submission to Masters
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

22 “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Footnotes
1 Peter 1:1 sojourners, temporary residents
1 Peter 1:4 imperishable
1 Peter 1:6 distressed
1 Peter 1:8 M known
1 Peter 1:12 NU, M you
1 Peter 1:17 sojourning, dwelling as resident aliens
1 Peter 1:18 perishable
1 Peter 1:20 revealed
1 Peter 1:22 NU omits through the Spirit
1 Peter 1:22 Lit. unhypocritical
1 Peter 1:23 perishable
1 Peter 1:23 imperishable
1 Peter 1:23 NU omits forever
1 Peter 1:24 NU its glory as
1 Peter 1:25 spoken word
1 Peter 2:2 NU adds up to salvation
1 Peter 2:7 NU disbelieve
1 Peter 2:13 institution
1 Peter 2:16 wickedness
1 Peter 2:21 NU you
1 Peter 2:21 NU, M you
1 Peter 2:24 wounds
1 Peter 2:25 Gr. Episkopos
1 Pedro 1-2
Reina Valera Actualizada
1 Pedro, apóstol de Jesucristo; a los expatriados de la dispersión en Ponto, Galacia, Capadocia, Asia y Bitinia, 2 elegidos conforme al previo conocimiento de Dios Padre por la santificación del Espíritu para obedecer a Jesucristo y ser rociados con su sangre: Gracia y paz les sean multiplicadas.

Esperanza viva de la salvación
3 Bendito sea el Dios y Padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, quien según su grande misericordia nos ha hecho nacer de nuevo para una esperanza viva por medio de la resurrección de Jesucristo de entre los muertos; 4 para una herencia incorruptible, incontaminable e inmarchitable reservada en los cielos para ustedes , 5 que son guardados por el poder de Dios mediante la fe para la salvación preparada para ser revelada en el tiempo final. 6 En esto se alegran, a pesar de que por ahora, si es necesario, estén afligidos momentáneamente por diversas pruebas, 7 para que la prueba de su fe —más preciosa que el oro que perece, aunque sea probado con fuego— sea hallada digna de alabanza, gloria y honra en la revelación de Jesucristo. 8 A él lo aman sin haberlo visto. En él creen y, aunque no lo vean ahora, creyendo en él se alegran con gozo inefable y glorioso, 9 obteniendo así el fin de su fe: la salvación de su vida .

10 Acerca de esta salvación han inquirido e investigado diligentemente los profetas que profetizaron de la gracia que fue destinada para ustedes. 11 Ellos escudriñaban para ver qué persona y qué tiempo indicaba el Espíritu de Cristo que estaba en ellos, quien predijo las aflicciones que habían de venir a Cristo y las glorias después de ellas. 12 A ellos les fue revelado que, no para sí mismos sino para ustedes , administraban las cosas que ahora les han sido anunciadas por los que les han predicado el evangelio por el Espíritu Santo enviado del cielo; cosas que hasta los ángeles anhelan contemplar.

Exhortación a una vida santa
13 Por eso, con la mente preparada para actuar y siendo sobrios, pongan su esperanza completamente en la gracia que les es traída en la revelación de Jesucristo. 14 Como hijos obedientes, no se conformen a las pasiones que antes tenían estando en su ignorancia. 15 Antes bien, así como aquel que los ha llamado es santo, también sean santos ustedes en todo aspecto de su manera de vivir 16 porque escrito está: Sean santos porque yo soy santo .

17 Y si invocan como Padre a aquel que juzga según la obra de cada uno sin hacer distinción de personas, condúzcanse en temor todo el tiempo de su peregrinación. 18 Tengan presente que han sido rescatados de su vana manera de vivir, la cual heredaron de sus padres, no con cosas corruptibles como oro o plata 19 sino con la sangre preciosa de Cristo como de un cordero sin mancha y sin contaminación. 20 Él, a la verdad, fue destinado desde antes de la fundación del mundo, pero ha sido manifestado en los últimos tiempos por causa de ustedes. 21 Por medio de él creen en Dios, quien lo resucitó de entre los muertos y le ha dado gloria de modo que su fe y esperanza estén en Dios.

22 Habiendo purificado la vida de ustedes en obediencia a la verdad para un amor fraternal no fingido, ámense los unos a los otros ardientemente y de corazón puro; 23 pues han nacido de nuevo, no de simiente corruptible sino de incorruptible, por medio de la palabra de Dios que vive y permanece . 24 Porque:

Toda carne es como la hierba,

y toda su gloria es

como la flor de la hierba.

La hierba se seca, y la flor se cae;

25 pero la palabra del Señor

permanece para siempre .

Esta es la palabra del evangelio que les ha sido anunciada.

Exhortación al crecimiento espiritual
2 Habiendo pues dejado toda maldad, todo engaño, hipocresía, envidia y toda maledicencia, 2 deseen como niños recién nacidos la leche de la palabra no adulterada para que por ella crezcan para salvación, 3 puesto que han probado que el Señor es bondadoso.

4 Acercándose a él, la Piedra Viva —que fue ciertamente rechazada por los hombres, pero delante de Dios es elegida y preciosa—, 5 también ustedes sean edificados como piedras vivas en casa espiritual para ser un sacerdocio santo, a fin de ofrecer sacrificios espirituales agradables a Dios por medio de Jesucristo. 6 Por esto contiene la Escritura:

He aquí, pongo en Sion

la Piedra del ángulo,

escogida y preciosa.

Y el que cree en él jamás

será avergonzado .

7 De manera que para ustedes que creen es de sumo valor; pero para los que no creen:

La piedra que desecharon los edificadores, esta fue hecha cabeza del ángulo ,

8 y: piedra de tropiezo

y roca de escándalo .

Aquellos tropiezan, siendo desobedientes a la palabra, pues para eso mismo fueron destinados.

El pueblo de Dios
9 Pero ustedes son linaje escogido, real sacerdocio, nación santa, pueblo adquirido, para que anuncien las virtudes de aquel que los ha llamado de las tinieblas a su luz admirable.

10 Ustedes en el tiempo pasado

no eran pueblo

pero ahora son pueblo de Dios;

no habían alcanzado misericordia

pero ahora han alcanzado misericordia .

11 Amados, yo los exhorto como a peregrinos y expatriados, que se abstengan de las pasiones carnales que combaten contra la vida . 12 Tengan una conducta ejemplar entre los gentiles, para que en lo que ellos los calumnian como a malhechores, al ver las buenas obras de ustedes, glorifiquen a Dios en el día de la visitación.

13 Estén sujetos a toda institución humana por causa del Señor; ya sea al rey como quien ejerce soberanía, 14 o a los gobernantes como quienes han sido enviados por él para el castigo de los que hacen el mal y para la alabanza de los que hacen el bien. 15 Porque esta es la voluntad de Dios: que haciendo el bien hagan callar la ignorancia de los hombres insensatos. 16 Actúen como libres, y no como los que hacen de la libertad un pretexto para hacer lo malo sino como siervos de Dios. 17 Honren a todos; amen a los hermanos; teman a Dios; honren al rey.

Ejemplo de Cristo en el sufrimiento
18 Siervos, estén sujetos con todo respeto a sus amos; no solamente a los que son buenos y comprensivos sino también a los severos. 19 Porque esto es aceptable: que alguien soporte aflicción y padezca injustamente por tener conciencia de Dios. 20 Porque, ¿qué de notable hay si, cuando cometen pecado y son abofeteados, lo soportan? Pero si lo soportan cuando hacen el bien y son afligidos, esto sí es aceptable delante de Dios. 21 Pues para esto fueron llamados, porque también Cristo sufrió por ustedes dejándoles ejemplo para que sigan sus pisadas.

22 Él no cometió pecado,

ni fue hallado engaño en su boca .

23 Cuando lo maldecían, él no respondía con maldición. Cuando padecía, no amenazaba sino que se encomendaba al que juzga con justicia. 24 Él mismo llevó nuestros pecados en su cuerpo sobre el madero a fin de que nosotros, habiendo muerto para los pecados, vivamos para la justicia. Por sus heridas ustedes han sido sanados. 25 Porque eran como ovejas descarriadas, pero ahora han vuelto al Pastor y Obispo de su vida .

Footnotes
1 Pedro 1:4 Algunos mss. antiguos tienen nosotros.
1 Pedro 1:9 Lit., de almas.
1 Pedro 1:12 Algunos mss. tardíos dicen nosotros.
1 Pedro 1:16 Lev. 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7.
1 Pedro 1:23 Algunos mss. tardíos incluyen para siempre.
1 Pedro 1:25 Isa. 40:6-8; cf. Stg. 1:10, 11.
1 Pedro 2:6 Isa. 28:16 (LXX).
1 Pedro 2:7 Sal. 118:22.
1 Pedro 2:8 Isa. 8:14.
1 Pedro 2:9 Una serie de alusiones tomadas de Isa. 43:21 (LXX); Éxo. 19:5, 6 (LXX), Deut. 7:6.
1 Pedro 2:10 Cf. Ose. 2:23; 1:6, 9.
1 Pedro 2:11 Lit., el alma.
1 Pedro 2:21 Algunos mss. antiguos tienen por nosotros, dejándonos.
1 Pedro 2:22 Isa. 53:9.
1 Pedro 2:25 Lit., sus almas.