1 Peter 1
1 I, Peter, who [have been appointed by] Jesus Christ {one whom Jesus Christ [has appointed]} to be an apostle, [am writing this letter] to you believers whom God has chosen to belong to him. [You are living] in [the Roman provinces of] Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. [Just like the Jews who lived in Israel long ago were] scattered [to other countries far from their homes] [MET], you now live [far from] heaven, which is [your true home].
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,
2 God our Father previously chose you, and his Spirit has set you apart in order that you would obey Jesus Christ. He did that in order that [just like Moses] sprinkled [the Israelites with blood when God established the old covenant] [MET], [Jesus would establish his new covenant with you] with the blood [that flowed from his body when he died]. May God act very kindly to you, and may he give you much [inner] peace.
elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the setting apart of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
3 Praise God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because he has been very merciful to [us, he has given us new life] [MET]. Because he has caused Jesus Christ to become alive again after he died, he has enabled us to live very confidently; that is, to fully expect to receive the things [that God/he has promised to give us].
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has given us another birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead,
4 He has enabled us to expect to receive an absolutely imperishable/indestructible [TRI] inheritance that has been {that [God] has} preserved in heaven for us.
into an imperishable and undefiled and unfading inheritance, already reserved in the heavens for you,
5 God, by his mighty power, is guarding you as you trust in Jesus. [He is keeping you safe so] that he may, at the end of the time in which we now live (OR, when Jesus returns), completely deliver you [from Satan’s power].
who are being guarded by the power of God through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 You rejoice because of what will happen then, but now you are grieving for a short time while [God is allowing] you to be tested {[various things to] test you [MET]}, [as precious metals are tested] {[someone tests precious metals]} [to see if they are pure]. [These trials that you are experiencing are necessary]
You should be overjoyed about this, even if just now, briefly, of necessity, you have been distressed by a variety of trials,
7 to prove that you really do trust in Jesus. His proving that will be more valuable than gold, [which does not last forever even] though it is purified [by being put] {someone tries to make it pure by [putting it]} [in a hot] fire. As a result of your passing the test [and proving that you really do trust in Jesus], God will honor you very highly [TRI] when Jesus Christ comes again.
so that the demonstrated genuineness of your faith (much more precious than gold that perishes, albeit tested through fire) may translate into praise, glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ
8 You love [Jesus], although you have not seen him. Although you do not see him now, you rejoice very much [DOU]
—whom not having understood you love, into whom believing (not yet seeing) you exult with joy inexpressible, already glorified,
9 because you are experiencing the result of your believing in him; that is, [God] is saving you [SYN] [from the guilt of your sins].
obtaining for yourselves the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 As for those who [long ago] spoke messages that God had revealed to them about how God would act kindly toward you in ways which you did not deserve, they (investigated very carefully/tried very hard to learn) [DOU] about how God would save you.
Concerning this salvation the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and inquired diligently,
11 They wanted to know whom the Spirit of Christ that was in them was referring to, and what time he was talking about, when he told beforehand that the Messiah would suffer [and die], and that glorious/wonderful things would happen [to him and to us] afterwards.
investigating into whom, or what sort of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating as He testified beforehand the sufferings that would be inflicted on Christ and the glories that would follow them.
12 It was revealed to {[God] told} them that it was not for their own sake that he was revealing these things to them, but that it was for your sake. It was these things that were proclaimed to you by those who told you the message [about Christ {that those who told you the message about Christ proclaimed to you]}. They proclaimed these things to you because the Holy Spirit whom [God] sent from heaven [enabled them to do that]. And even angels would like to know more about these [truths about how God saves us].
It was revealed to them that they were not ministering these things to themselves, but to you; which things have now been announced to you by those who proclaimed the gospel to you, with the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things that angels really desire to look into.
13 Therefore, [prepare your minds] [MET] [as people] fasten their belts around their waists [to prepare to work]. [What I mean is that] you should (discipline your minds/control what you think about), and by doing that conduct your lives fully and confidently expecting to receive the good things that [God will] kindly [do for you] when Jesus Christ returns [from heaven].
Therefore, having girded up the loins of your mind, staying sober, rest your hope fully upon the grace being brought to you in the revelation of Jesus Christ—
14 [And because you should obey your heavenly Father] [SIM], as children [ought to] obey their fathers [here on earth], do not do the evil things that you used to desire to do when you did not know [God’s truth].
as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts as in your ignorance,
15 Instead, just like God, the one who chose you [to belong to him], is (holy/separate from evil), you also must be (holy/separate from evil) in everything that you do,
but just as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your way of life,
16 because it is {[someone/Moses] has} written [in the Scriptures that God said], “You must be (holy/separate from evil) because I am (holy/separate from evil).”
because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
17 God is the one who (impartially/without favoritism) judges what each person does. Since you call him ‘Father’, live (reverently/with great respect for him) during the time that you are living here on earth. [While you are living here, you are] like exiles/foreigners [MET] [because you are away from heaven, which is your true home].
Also, since you invoke as Father the One who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves during the time of your sojourn here in fear,
18 [Live reverently] because you know that it was not with things that will not last forever, things like gold and silver, that [God] bought you to free you from your useless life-style that you learned from your ancestors.
knowing that it was not with perishable things (silver or gold) that you were redeemed from the futile way of life handed down by your forefathers,
19 Instead, [it was] with the precious blood of Christ [that flowed from his body when he died that God bought you. Christ’s death was a perfect sacrifice for us] [MET], [like] the lambs that [the Jewish priests sacrificed were] perfect, without any blemishes/defects/flaws or spots [DOU].
but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a faultless and pure lamb;
20 Christ was chosen [by God] {[God] chose Christ} before the world was created {[he] created the world}. But it was not until now, when the time [in which we are living will soon] end, that he was revealed for your sake.
who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake,
21 Because of what Christ has done, you are trusting in God, who caused Christ to become alive again after he died, and greatly honored him. As a result, God is the one in whom you are trusting and confidently expecting [that he will do great things for you].
who through Him are believing into God, who raised Him out from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are into God.
22 Because you have been made pure by obeying the truth, with the result that you sincerely love your fellow believers, continue to love each other earnestly and sincerely/wholeheartedly.
Since you have purified your souls by obeying the truth through the Spirit, resulting in sincere brotherly love, you must love one another fervently from a pure heart,
23 [I ask you to do this, because you now have] a new life [MET]. It was not [by means of] something that will perish that you received this new life. Instead, it was [by means of] something that will last forever; that is, by believing the life-giving and enduring message of God. (aiōn g165)
having been begotten again, not from a corruptible seed but an incorruptible, through the living Word of God that remains valid forever. (aiōn g165)
24 [We know that this is true] because, [as the prophet Isaiah wrote], All people [will die] [SIM], like grass [dies]. And all the greatness/honor that people have [will not last forever], like the flowers [SIM] [that grow up] in the grass [do not last long]. The grass withers and the flowers die,
For: “All flesh is as grass, and all man's glory as flower of grass. The grass withers and its flower falls off, but the Lord's word endures forever.”
