Instead, exalt the Messiah" as Lord in your lives. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you to explain the hope you have.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people to be his very own and to proclaim the wonderful deeds of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Surely you have tasted that the Lord is good!

For the Messiah also suffered for sins once for all, an innocent person for the guilty, so that he could bring you to God. He was put to death in a mortal body but was brought to life by the Spirit,

"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the tree, so that we might die to those sins and live righteously. "By his wounds you have been healed."

Be clear-minded and alert. Your opponent, the Devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah! Because of his great mercy he has granted us a new birth, resulting in an immortal hope through the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah, from the dead

After all, this is how holy women who set their hope on God used to make themselves beautiful in the past. They submitted themselves to their husbands,

Throw all your worry on him, because he cares for you.

As good servant managers of God's grace in its various forms, serve one another with the gift each of you has received.

To: The exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, the people chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying action of the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus, the Messiah, and to be sprinkled with his blood. May grace and peace be yours in abundance!

For you know that it was not with perishable things like silver or gold that you have been ransomed from the worthless way of life handed down to you by your ancestors,

In a similar way, you wives must submit yourselves to your husbands so that, even if some of them refuse to obey the word, they may be won over without a word through your conduct as wives

This is, in fact, what you were called to do, because: The Messiah also suffered for you and left an example for you to follow in his steps.

Therefore, as a fellow elder, a witness of the Messiah's sufferings, and one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I appeal to the elders among you:

For you have been born again, not by a seed that perishes but by one that cannot perish by the living and everlasting word of God.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep a clear head, and set your hope completely on the grace to be given you when Jesus, the Messiah, is revealed.

They will give an account to the one who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Baptism, which is symbolized by that water, now saves you also, not by removing dirt from the body, but by asking God for a clear conscience based on the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah,

Like newborn babies, thirst for the pure milk of the word so that by it you may grow in your salvation.

As you come to him, the living stone who was rejected by people but was chosen and precious in God's sight,

you, too, as living stones, are building yourselves up into a spiritual house and a holy priesthood, so that you may offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus, the Messiah.

In a similar way, you husbands must live with your wives in an understanding manner, as with a most delicate partner. Honor them as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing may interfere with your prayers.

From: Peter, an apostle of Jesus, the Messiah.

Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and exiles to keep on abstaining from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul.

Dear friends, do not be surprised by the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

For the Lord's sake submit yourselves to every human authority: whether to the king as supreme,

In a similar way, you young people must submit to the elders. All of you must clothe yourselves with humility for the sake of each other, because: "God opposes the arrogant, but gives grace to the humble."

Now that you have obeyed the truth and have purified your souls to love your brothers sincerely, you must love one another intensely and with a pure heart.

Finally, all of you must live in harmony, be sympathetic, love as brothers, and be compassionate and humble.

Indeed, this is why the gospel was proclaimed even to those who have died, so that they could be judged in their mortal flesh like all humans and live in the spiritual realm like God.

Instead, be holy in every aspect of your life, just as the one who called you is holy.

just as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You have become her daughters by doing good and by not letting anything terrify you.

You greatly rejoice in this, even though you have to suffer various kinds of trials for a little while,

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt you.

Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope might be in God.

Through faith you are being protected by God's power for a salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of this era.

Therefore, rid yourselves of every kind of evil and deception, hypocrisy, jealousy, and every kind of slander.

Above all, continue to love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.

If you call "Father" the one who judges everyone impartially according to what they have done, you must live in reverent fear as long as you are strangers in a strange land.

Because everything will soon come to an end, be sensible and clear-headed, so you can pray.

For it is written, "You must be holy, because I am holy."

Therefore, since the Messiah suffered in a mortal body, you, too, must arm yourselves with the same determination, because the person who has suffered in a mortal body has stopped sinning,

"He never sinned, and he never told a lie."

Be shepherds of God's flock that is among you, watching over it, not because you must but because you want to, and not greedily but eagerly, as God desires.

Whoever speaks must speak God's words. Whoever serves must serve with the strength that God supplies, so that in every way God may be glorified through Jesus, the Messiah. Glory and power belong to him forever and ever! Amen.

Even the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours, carefully researched and investigated this salvation.

For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God. And if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who refuse to obey the gospel of God?

Though you have not seen him, you love him. And even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,

Your beauty should not be an external one, consisting of braided hair or the wearing of gold ornaments and dresses.

Continue to live such upright lives among the gentiles that, when they slander you as practicers of evil, they may see your good actions and glorify God when he visits them.

He must turn away from evil and do good. He must seek peace and pursue it.

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you by the Messiah Jesus to his eternal glory, will restore you, establish you, strengthen you, and support you.

You household servants must submit yourselves to your masters out of respect, not only to those who are kind and fair, but also to those who are unjust.

so that your genuine faith, which is more valuable than gold that perishes when tested by fire, may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus, the Messiah, is revealed.

who disobeyed long ago in the days of Noah, when God waited patiently while the ark was being built. In it a few, that is, eight persons, were saved by water.

Resist him and be firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.

but with the precious blood of the Messiah, like that of a lamb without blemish or defect.

On the one hand, he was foreknown before the creation of the world, but on the other hand, he was revealed at the end of time for your sake.

As obedient children, do not be shaped by the desires that used to influence you when you were ignorant.

but the word of the Lord lasts forever." Now this word is the good news that was announced to you.

Power belongs to him forever and ever! Amen.

Instead, because you are participating in the sufferings of the Messiah, keep on rejoicing, so that you may be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed.

For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

But do this gently and respectfully, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak evil of your good conduct in the Messiah will be ashamed of slandering you.

After all, if it is the will of God, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong.

or to governors who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.

Through Silvanus, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written this short letter to encourage you and to testify that this is to be the true grace of God in which you are to stand firm!

Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace be to all of you who are in the Messiah!

when they see your pure and reverent lives.

What good does it do if, when you sin, you patiently receive punishment for it? But if you suffer for doing good and receive it patiently, you have God's approval.

Of course, none of you should suffer for being a murderer, thief, criminal, or troublemaker.

"If it is hard for the righteous person to be saved, what will happen to the ungodly and sinful person?"

so that he can live the rest of his mortal life guided, not by human desires, but by the will of God.

They insult you now because they are surprised that you are no longer joining them in the same excesses of wild living.

in which he went and made a proclamation to those imprisoned spirits

Honor everyone. Keep on loving the community of believers, fearing God, and honoring the king.

and to an inheritance kept in heaven for you that can't be destroyed, corrupted, or changed.

This is why it says in Scripture: "Look! I am laying a chosen, precious cornerstone in Zion. The one who believes in him will never be ashamed."

You were "like sheep that kept going astray," but now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

who has gone to heaven and is at the right hand of God, where angels, authorities, and powers have been made subject to him.

Who will harm you if you are devoted to doing what is good?

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you in regard to the things that have now been announced to you by those who brought you the good news through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. These are things that even the angels desire to look into.

Then, when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the victor's crown of glory that will never fade away.

Show hospitality to one another without complaining.

For "All human life is like grass, and all its glory is like a flower in the grass. The grass dries up and the flower drops off,

But if you suffer for being a Christian, do not feel ashamed, but glorify God with that name.

Do not pay others back evil for evil or insult for insult. Instead, keep blessing them, because you were called to inherit a blessing.

They tried to find out what era or specific time the Spirit of the Messiah in them kept referring to when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.

Therefore he is precious to you who believe, but to those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,

Instead, it should be the inner disposition of the heart, consisting in the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which God values greatly.

For the Lord watches the righteous, and he pays attention to their prayers. But the Lord opposes those who do wrong."

"For the person who wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.

For it is a fine thing if, when moved by your conscience to please God, you suffer patiently when wronged.

When he was insulted, he did not retaliate. When he suffered, he did not threaten. It was his habit to commit the matter to the one who judges fairly.

If you are insulted because of the name of the Messiah, you are blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God is resting on you.

Your sister church in Babylon, chosen along with you, sends you greetings, as does Mark, whom I regard as a son.

a stone they stumble over and a rock they trip on." They keep on stumbling because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

For you spent enough time in the past doing what the gentiles like to do, living in sensuality, sinful desires, drunkenness, wild celebrations, drinking parties, and detestable idolatry.

But even if you should suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. "Never be afraid of their threats, and never get upset.

Live like free people, and do not use your freedom as an excuse for doing evil. Instead, be God's servants.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Do not lord it over the people entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock.

So then, those who suffer according to God's will should entrust their souls to their faithful Creator and continue to do what is good.