1 From Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ—
To God's chosen people who live as refugees scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 2 You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood.
May grace and peace be yours in full measure.
A Living Hope
3 Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope, 4 and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away. 5 They are for you, who through faith are kept safe by God's power for the salvation which is ready to be revealed at the end of time.
6 Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. 7 Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested, so that it may endure. Then you will receive praise and glory and honor on the Day when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 You love him, although you have not seen him, and you believe in him, although you do not now see him. So you rejoice with a great and glorious joy which words cannot express, 9 because you are receiving the salvation of your souls, which is the purpose of your faith in him.
10 It was concerning this salvation that the prophets made careful search and investigation, and they prophesied about this gift which God would give you. 11 They tried to find out when the time would be and how it would come. This was the time to which Christ's Spirit in them was pointing, in predicting the sufferings that Christ would have to endure and the glory that would follow. 12 God revealed to these prophets that their work was not for their own benefit, but for yours, as they spoke about those things which you have now heard from the messengers who announced the Good News by the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. These are things which even the angels would like to understand.
A Call to Holy Living
13 So then, have your minds ready for action. Keep alert and set your hope completely on the blessing which will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 Be obedient to God, and do not allow your lives to be shaped by those desires you had when you were still ignorant. 15 Instead, be holy in all that you do, just as God who called you is holy. 16 The scripture says, “Be holy because I am holy.”
17 You call him Father, when you pray to God, who judges all people by the same standard, according to what each one has done; so then, spend the rest of your lives here on earth in reverence for him. 18 For you know what was paid to set you free from the worthless manner of life handed down by your ancestors. It was not something that can be destroyed, such as silver or gold; 19 it was the costly sacrifice of Christ, who was like a lamb without defect or flaw. 20 He had been chosen by God before the creation of the world and was revealed in these last days for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from death and gave him glory; and so your faith and hope are fixed on God.
22 Now that by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves and have come to have a sincere love for other believers, love one another earnestly with all your heart. 23 For through the living and eternal word of God you have been born again as the children of a parent who is immortal, not mortal. 24 As the scripture says,
“All human beings are like grass,
and all their glory is like wild flowers.
The grass withers, and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
This word is the Good News that was proclaimed to you.
1 Pēteris, Jēzus Kristus apustulis, svešniekiem, kas izkaisīti Pontā, Galatijā, Kapadoķijā, Āzijā un Bitinijā,
2 Ko Dievs Tēvs pēc iepriekšējā lēmuma izredzējis, garā svētīdams, lai tie būtu paklausīgi un taptu apslacināti ar Jēzus Kristus asinīm: žēlastība un miers lai jums ir bagātīgi.
3 Slavēts lai ir Dievs, mūsu Kunga Jēzus Kristus Tēvs, kas savā lielajā žēlastībā mūs ir atdzemdinājis dzīvai cerībai ar Jēzus Kristus augšāmcelšanos no miroņiem,
4 Neiznīcīgam, neaptraipītam un nevīstošam mantojumam, kas ir uzglabāts debesīs jums,
5 Kas Dieva spēkā tiekat pasargāti ticībā pestīšanai, kas ir sagatavota, lai atklātos pēdējā laikā.
6 Tad jūs līksmosities, tagad, ja tas ir vajadzīgs, drusku noskumdināti dažādos pārbaudījumos,
7 Lai jūsu pārbaudītā ticība, kas ir daudz vērtīgāka nekā iznīcīgais zelts, kas tak uguni tiek pārbaudīts, izrādītos teicama, slavējama un godājama, kad Jēzus Kristus parādīsies.
8 Viņu jūs mīlat, lai gan neesat to redzējuši, uz viņu jūs ticat, to tagad neredzēdami, un priecāsities neizsakāmā un apskaidrotā priekā,
9 Kad jūs sasniegsit savas ticības gala mērķi, dvēseļu pestīšanu.
10 Par šo pestīšanu ir taujājuši un pētījuši pravieši, kas sludināja jums nolemto žēlastību,
11 Gribēdami izzināt, uz kufu vai kādu laiku norāda Kristus Gars viņos, kas iepriekš liecināja par Kristus ciešanām un tām sekojošo godību.
12 Viņiem tika atklāts, ka ne viņiem pašiem, bet jums nāk par labu tās lietas, ko jums tagad pauduši tic, kas jums evaņģēliju sludināja Svētajā Garā, kas no debesim sūtīts. Šais lietās pat arī eņģeļi kāro ieskatīties.
13 Tāpēc apjozuši sava prāta gurnus un modri būdami, lieciet savu cerību pilnīgi uz to žēlastību, kas jums tiks pasniegta, kad Jēzus Kristus paradīsies.
14 Kā paklausīgi bērni neveidojiet savu dzīvi pēc kārībām, kupās jūs agrāk dzīvojāt savā nezināšanā.
15 Bet sekodami Svētajam, kas jūs aicinājis, topiet arī paši svēti visā dzīvošanā,
16 Jo ir rakstīts: „Esiet svēti, jo es esmu svēts.“
17 Un kad jūs to piesaucat kā Tēvu, kas cilvēka stāvokli neievērodams spriež tiesu pēc ikkatra darba, tad pavadāt bijībā savas svešniecības laiku.
18 Jūs zināt, ka esat atpirkti ne ar iznīcīgām lietām—sudrabu vai zeltu no savas aplamās no tēviem mantotās dzīves,
19 Bet ar Kristus, šī bezvainigā un nevainojamā jēra, dārgām asinīm,
20 Kas gan iepriekš izredzēts pirms pasaules radīšanas, bet atklāts laiku beigās jūsu dēļ.
21 Jūs caur viņu ticat uz Dievu, kas viņu ir uzmodinājis no miroņiem un to godā cēlis, tā ka jūsu ticība ir kļuvusi arī par cerību uz Dievu.
22 Savas dvēseles šķīstījuši, klausot patiesībai uz neliekuļotu brāļu mīlestību, mīliet cits citu no visas sirds pastāvīgi,
23 Jūs, kas esat atdzimuši ne no iznīcīgas sēklas, bet neiznīcīgas, no dzīvā un paliekamā Dieva vārda.
24 Jo visa miesa ir kā zāle un visa viņas godība kā zāles zieds. Zāle nokalst un viņas ziedi nobirst, bet Dieva vārds paliek mūžīgi.
25 Bet tas ir tas vārds, kas jums ir tapis kā prieka vēsts sludināts.
