Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to the abundance of His kindness did beget us again to a living hope, through the rising again of Jesus Christ out of the dead,

who, in the power of God are being guarded, through faith, unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time,

whom, not having seen, ye love, in whom, now not seeing and believing, ye are glad with joy unspeakable and glorified,

concerning which salvation seek out and search out did prophets who concerning the grace toward you did prophecy,

to whom it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to us they were ministering these, which now were told to you (through those who did proclaim good news to you,) in the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, to which things messengers do desire to bend looking.

but according as He who did call you is holy, ye also, become holy in all behaviour,

and if on the Father ye do call, who without acceptance of persons is judging according to the work of each, in fear the time of your sojourn pass ye,

who through him do believe in God, who did raise out of the dead, and glory to him did give, so that your faith and hope may be in God.

to whom coming -- a living stone -- by men, indeed, having been disapproved of, but with God choice, precious,

Wherefore, also, it is contained in the Writing: 'Lo, I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone, choice, precious, and he who is believing on him may not be put to shame;'

to you, then, who are believing is the preciousness; and to the unbelieving, a stone that the builders disapproved of, this one did become for the head of a corner,

and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence -- who are stumbling at the word, being unbelieving, -- to which also they were set;

and ye are a choice race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired, that the excellences ye may shew forth of Him who out of darkness did call you to His wondrous light;

who were once not a people, and are now the people of God; who had not found kindness, and now have found kindness.

who did not commit sin, nor was guile found in his mouth,

who being reviled -- was not reviling again, suffering -- was not threatening, and was committing himself to Him who is judging righteously,

who our sins himself did bear in his body, upon the tree, that to the sins having died, to the righteousness we may live; by whose stripes ye were healed,

for thus once also the holy women who did hope on God, were adorning themselves, being subject to their own husbands,

as Sarah was obedient to Abraham, calling him 'sir,' of whom ye did become daughters, doing good, and not fearing any terror.

for 'he who is willing to love life, and to see good days, let him guard his tongue from evil, and his lips -- not to speak guile;

and who is he who will be doing you evil, if of Him who is good ye may become imitators?

and the Lord God sanctify in your hearts. And be ready always for defence to every one who is asking of you an account concerning the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

having a good conscience, that in that in which they speak against you as evil-doers, they may be ashamed who are traducing your good behaviour in Christ;

who sometime disbelieved, when once the long-suffering of God did wait, in days of Noah -- an ark being preparing -- in which few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water;

who is at the right hand of God, having gone on to heaven -- messengers, and authorities, and powers, having been subjected to him.

Christ, then, having suffered for us in the flesh, ye also with the same mind arm yourselves, because he who did suffer in the flesh hath done with sin,

who shall give an account to Him who is ready to judge living and dead,

if any one doth speak -- 'as oracles of God;' if any one doth minister -- 'as of the ability which God doth supply;' that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory and the power -- to the ages of the ages. Amen.

Elders who are among you, I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of the Christ, and of the glory about to be revealed a partaker,

Be sober, vigilant, because your opponent the devil, as a roaring lion, doth walk about, seeking whom he may swallow up,

whom resist, stedfast in the faith, having known the same sufferings to your brotherhood in the world to be accomplished.

And the God of all grace, who did call you to His age-during glory in Christ Jesus, having suffered a little, Himself make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you;

Salute ye one another in a kiss of love; peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus! Amen.