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,

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.

knowing that ye have not been redeemed out of your vain manner of life, derived traditionally from your fathers, by the corruptible things, silver and gold,

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.

Having purified your souls by obedience to the truth to unfeigned brotherly love, love one another out of a pure heart fervently;

being begotten again, not out of seed corruptible, but incorruptible, through a word of God -- living and remaining -- to the age;

Therefore, you should put out of your lives all malice [i.e., bad attitudes], and all deceit and hypocrisy, and all envy and unwholesome talk.

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:

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.

Because, like sheep, you had gone out of the way; but now you have come back to him who keeps watch over your souls.

such was Sarah, who show'd her obeysance to Abraham, by stiling him her Lord: and you will be stiled her children, if you imitate her conduct, and are not to be terrified out of your virtue.

These people had disobeyed [Noah's preaching, See II Pet. 2:5] back when God's patience waited [for them to repent, See Gen. 6:3], during the days of Noah, when the ship was being constructed. It was by that means [i.e., the ship floating them to safety through the Flood waters] that a few persons, eight of them, were saved [from destruction] through water.

In which they are astonished, you not running together in the same pouring out of lavish expense, blaspheming:

Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God’s will; not for the money but eagerly;

And when the Supreme Shepherd [i.e., Jesus] comes back, you will receive [for your effort] a glorious crown [of reward] that will never fade away [Note: The idea of "fading away" is suggested by the laurel wreath bestowed on the winner of an athletic contest].