THE BOOK OF FIRST
PETER
King James Version
1 ¶ Peter, an apostle of Jesus
Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia,
2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 ¶ Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath
begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth
not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 ¶ Wherein ye greatly
rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through
manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith,
being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with
fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus
Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him
not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your
souls.
10 ¶ Of which salvation the
prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace
that should come unto you:
11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which
was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ,
and the glory that should follow.
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us
they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have
preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which
things the angels desire to look into.
13 ¶ Wherefore gird up the
loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be
brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 As obedient children, not
fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all
manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons
judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in
fear:
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible
things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition
from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world,
but was manifest in these last times for you,
21 Who by him do believe in God,
that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope
might be in God.
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through
the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another
with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 ¶ For all flesh is as
grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth,
and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word
which by the gospel is preached unto you.
1 ¶ Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and
hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
2 As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
3 If so be ye
have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 ¶ To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed
indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as
lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also
it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone,
elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7
Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto
them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is
made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of
stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being
disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9 But ye are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that
ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness
into his marvellous light:
10 Which in time
past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained
mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 Dearly
beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts,
which war against the soul;
12 Having your
conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as
evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in
the day of visitation.
13 ¶ Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the
Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are
sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do
well.
15 For so is the
will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of
foolish men:
16 As free, and
not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of
God.
17 Honour all
men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
18 Servants, be
subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but
also to the froward.
19 For this is
thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering
wrongfully.
20 For what glory
is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but
if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is
acceptable with God.
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his
steps:
22 Who did no
sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he
was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but
committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24 Who his own
self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
25 For ye were as
sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your
souls.
1 ¶ Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own
husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won
by the conversation of the wives;
2 While they
behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
3 Whose adorning
let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of
gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4 But let it be
the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great
price.
5 For after this
manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned
themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
6 Even as Sara
obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do
well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them
according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel,
and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not
hindered.
8 ¶ Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one
of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
9 Not rendering
evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that
ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
10 For he that
will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and
his lips that they speak no guile:
11 Let him eschew
evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
12 For the eyes
of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers:
but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
13 And who is he
that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
14
But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye:
and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
15 But sanctify
the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man
that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16 ¶ Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak
evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good
conversation in Christ.
17 For it is
better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil
doing.
18 ¶ For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the
just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also
he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20 Which sometime
were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of
Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were
saved by water.
21 ¶ The like figure
whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth
of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ:
22 Who is gone
into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers
being made subject unto him.
1 ¶ Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the
flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in
the flesh hath ceased from sin;
2 That he no
longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but
to the will of God.
3 For the time
past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when
we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings,
and abominable idolatries:
4 ¶ Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with
them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
5 Who shall give
account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
6 For for this
cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be
judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
7 ¶ But the end of all
things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
8 And above all
things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the
multitude of sins.
9 Use hospitality
one to another without grudging.
10 As every man
hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If any man
speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it
as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified
through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
12 ¶ Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery
trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice,
inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall
be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ,
happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their
part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 But let none
of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody
in other men's matters.
16 Yet if any man
suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this
behalf.
17 For the time
is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us,
what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the
righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19 Wherefore let
them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls
to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
1 ¶ The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also
an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the
glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock
of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but
willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as
being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
4 And when the
chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not
away.
5 ¶ Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the
elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility:
for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble
yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due
time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
8 ¶ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist
stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in
your brethren that are in the world.
10 ¶ But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto
his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make
you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
11 To him be
glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
12 By Silvanus, a
faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and
testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
13 The church
that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus
my son.
14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity.
Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.