Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has caused us to be born anew to a life of hope through Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead,

It was disclosed to them that they were serving not themselves but you in dealing with these things, which have now been told you by those who through the holy Spirit sent from heaven brought you the good news; things into which angels long to look!

for you know that you have not been ransomed with anything perishable like silver or gold, from the futile way of living in which you were brought up,

for the sake of you who through him trust in God, who raised him from the dead and showed him honor; and so your faith and hope rest on God.

for you have been born anew from a germ not perishable, but imperishable, through the message of the living, everlasting God.

Free yourselves, therefore, from all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of any kind,

Live upright lives among the heathen, so that even if they charge you with being evil-doers, they may from observing the uprightness of your conduct come to praise God on the Day of Judgment.

For God approves a man if from a sense of duty he endures suffering unjustly inflicted??20 for what credit is there in your enduring being beaten for doing wrong? But if you endure suffering for doing what is right, you have God's approval.

For "Let him who would enjoy life And see happy days, Keep his tongue from evil, And his lips from uttering deceit.

Let him turn away from evil and do right, Let him seek peace and go after it.

I appeal therefore to those who are elders among you; I am their brother-elder and a witness to what the Christ suffered, and I am to share in the glory that is to be revealed??2 be shepherds of the flock of God that is among you, not as though it were forced upon you but of your own free will, and not from base love of gain but freely,