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Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect sojourners of the Dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
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according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace to you, and peace, be multiplied.
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Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one having according to his great mercy begotten us again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
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unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and never fading, having been kept in the heavens unto you,
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who are preserved by the power of God through faith unto the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
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In whom you rejoice, if however it is needful, being grieved a little while among manifold temptations: in order
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that the trial of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, however being tried by the fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor in the revelation of Jesus Christ:
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whom you not seeing, love with divine love; on whom, not looking, but believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
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receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
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Concerning which salvation the prophets, who prophesied concerning the grace towards you, sought out and investigated,
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searching into what, or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them, witnessing the sufferings towards Christ, and the glories after these, did show:
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to whom it was revealed, because they were ministering not these things for themselves, but for you, which are now proclaimed unto you by those who preach to you the gospel with the Holy Ghost having been sent from heaven; into which things the angels desire to look down.
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Therefore having girded up the loins of your minds, being perfectly sober, hope unto the grace which is conferred on you in the revelation of Jesus Christ.
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As children of obedience, not being fashioned after your former lusts in ignorance:
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but according to the Holy One who has called you. Be ye also holy in all your deportment;
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because it has been written, Ye shall be holy; because I am holy.
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And if you call upon the Father, the One judging without respect of persons according to the work of each, pass the time of your sojourn with fear,
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knowing that you have been redeemed from your depraved character transmitted from your ancestors, not by corruptible things, silver or gold,
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but by the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and spotless:
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foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but having been made manifest at the last of the times for the sake of you,
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who through him are faithful toward God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope are toward God.
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Having purified your souls through obedience of the truth unto unhypocritical, brotherly love, fervently from the heart love one another with divine love:
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having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the word of God, who lives and abides.
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Therefore all flesh is as grass, and all its glory as the flower of grass: the grass is withered, and the flower fell off;
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but the word of the Lord abides forever. And this is the word which has been preached unto you.
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Therefore having laid aside all evil, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envyings, and all calumniations;
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like newly born babes, desire the pure milk of the word, in order that you may grow thereby unto salvation:
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if you have tasted that the Lord is good.
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Unto whom going forth, to a living stone, indeed rejected by men, but elect with God, precious,
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and you, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, into a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable unto God through Jesus Christ.
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Because it runs thus in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious: and the one believing on him can not be ashamed.
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Therefore to you who believe he is precious: but to the unbelievers, the stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of the corner, and the stone of stumbling, and the rock of offence,
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who stumble over the word, disbelieving: unto which they indeed were appointed.
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But you are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people unto conquest; in order that you may proclaim the virtues of the one having called you out of darkness unto his own marvelous light:
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who at one time were no people, but now you are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, lint just now having received mercy.
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Beloved, I exhort you as pilgrims and strangers, to abstain from the carnal desire which wars against the soul;
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having your deportment beautiful among the Gentiles: in order that in whatsoever they calumniate you as evil doers, seeing from your beautiful works, they may glorify God in the day of his visitation.
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Submit to every human creature for the sake of the Lord: whether to the king as supereminent,
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or to governors, as those having been sent out by him unto the condemnation of evil doers, and the praise of those doing good;
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because thus it is the will of God, that doing good you should put to shame the ignorance of the ignorant people:
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as free, and not as having the freedom as a cover of evil, but as servants of God.
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Honor all people; love the brotherhood with divine love; fear God; honor the king.
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Servants, be submissive to your masters with all reverence; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked.
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For this is grace, if, through the conscience of God, one bears sorrows and suffering unjustly.
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For what glory is there, if, committing sin and being buffeted, you endure it? But if, doing good and suffering you endure it, this is grace with God.
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For unto this you have been called: because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you may follow in his steps:
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who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth,
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who, being reviled, reviled not again; suffering, he threatened not, but gave up to the one judging righteously:
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who himself has borne our sins in his own body on the wood, in order that we, being made free from sins, may live unto righteousness: by whose stripe you are healed.
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For you have wandered away like sheep; but you have now turned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
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Likewise, ye wives, be submissive to your own husbands; in order that, if any do not believe the word, they shall be gained through the deportment of their wives, without the word;
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beholding your chaste deportment which is with reverence:
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whose beauty, let it not be the external beauty of braiding the hairs, and wearing golds, or putting on of outer garments;
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but let their beauty be the hidden man of the heart, in the purity of the meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is perfection complete.
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For in this way in olden times the holy wives, the ones having hope toward God, were indeed accustomed to beautify themselves, submissive to their own husbands:
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as Sarah submitted to Abraham, calling him Lord: whose children you have become, doing good, and not fearing any calamity.
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Likewise, ye husbands, dwelling with the wife according to knowledge, as the weaker vessel, extending to them honor, as indeed the equal heirs of the grace of life; that your prayers should not be hindered.
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And finally, all being like-minded, sympathetic, loving the brethren, merciful, humble:
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not giving evil for evil, or railing for railing: but on the contrary blessing; because unto this you have been called, that you may inherit the blessing.
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For let the one wishing to love life, and to see good days, cease his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking guile:
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let him depart from evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and pursue it:
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because the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry: but the face of the Lord is against those doing evil.
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Who is the one about to harm you, if you may be zealots of the good?
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But if indeed you suffer for righteousness' sake, you are happy. Fear not their fear, neither be troubled;
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but sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts: being always ready for an answer to every one asking you a reason for the hope which is in you, but with meekness and fear:
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having a good conscience, in order that, in whatsoever you are calumniated, those traducing your good deportment in Christ may be ashamed.
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For it is better, doing good, if the will of the Lord should will it, to suffer, rather than doing evil.
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Because Christ indeed once died for our sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, indeed being put to death in the flesh, but quickened in spirit:
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by which also having gone he proclaimed to the spirits in prison;
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who at one time were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, the ark being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through the water.
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Which antitype baptism does even now save you, not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the seeking after a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
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who is on the right hand of God, having gone up into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being subordinated unto him.
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Therefore Christ having suffered in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same mind: because the one having suffered in carnality has ceased from sin;
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that he may no longer live the remaining time in carnality according to the lusts of men, but in the will of God.
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For the past time is sufficient to have wrought the will of the heathens, walking in impurities, in lusts, in wine-drinkings, in revelries, in intemperance, and in unlawful idolatries:
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in which they are astonished you not running to the same excess of wrath, blaspheming;
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who shall give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
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For, unto this the gospel was also preached to the dead, in order that they may indeed be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
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But the end of all things is at hand. Therefore be prudent, and sober unto prayers:
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before all things having divine love stedfast toward one another; because divine love covers a multitude of sins:
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being hospitable to one another without grudging;
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as each one received the gift of grace, ministering the same to one another, as the good stewards of the manifold grace of God:
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if any one speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any one ministers, as from the strength which God supplies; in order that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ; to whom there is glory and power unto the ages of the ages. Amen.
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Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, coming upon you unto your testing: as some strange thing happening to you:
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but as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice; in order that you may also rejoice in the revelation of his glory, being glad.
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If you suffer reproach in the name of Christ, happy are you, because the spirit of the glory and the spirit of God rest on you.
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But let no one of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other people's business:
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but if as a Christian, be not ashamed, but glorify God in this name.
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Because it is time that judgment should begin from the house of God: and if it is first from us, what shall be the end of those who obey not the gospel of God?
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And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
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So let those indeed suffering according to the will of God submit their souls to the faithful Creator, in good work.
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Therefore I, being a fellow-elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, also a communicant of the glory which is about to be revealed, exhort the elders who are among you:
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shepherdize the flock of God which is among you, not coercively, but willingly, for the sake of God; not for filthy lucre, but cheerfully.
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Not as domineering over the heritages, but having become examples of the flock:
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and chief Shepherd having appeared, you shall receive a crown of glory which will never fade away.
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Likewise, you younger men, submit to the elders: and all put on humility toward one another; because God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.
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Therefore humble yourselves beneath the mighty hand of God, that he may lift you up in due time:
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having cast all your care upon him; because there is a care to him concerning you.
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Be sober, watch. The devil is walking round like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour:
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whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that it is for you to complete the same sufferings in this world along with your brotherhood.
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But the God of all grace, the one having called you into his own eternal glory in Christ, will himself make you perfect, having suffered a little while, will establish you, will strengthen you, will settle you.
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To him is the power unto the age of the ages. Amen.
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Through Silvanus, the faithful brother, as I consider, I have written unto you briefly, exhorting, and witnessing that this same grace of God is true in which you may stand.
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The elect sister who is in Babylon, and my son Mark, salute you.
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Salute one another with a holy kiss. Peace be unto you all who are in Christ.