receiving back the outcome of your faith, the salvation of souls.

Like children ruled by God, do not go back to the old desires of the time when you were without knowledge:

But according to the holy one calling you, also should ye yourselves be holy in all turning back;

You [should] know that you were bought back [from Satan], from your useless way of life, inherited from your forefathers, not with such perishable things as silver and gold,

Now that you have done with all malice, all deceitfulness, insincerity, jealous feelings, and all back-biting,

Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Having your turning back good in the nations: that, in what they speak against you as doing evil, from good works, they having beheld, might praise God in the day of inspection.

Who, when he was cursed, didn't curse back. When he suffered, didn't threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously;

for ye were as sheep going astray, but ye turned back now to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

Likewise, wives being subject to their own husbands; that also, if any believe not the word, by the turning back of wives might be gained without the word;

Having beheld in fear your pure turning back.

not giving back evil for evil, or railing for railing, and on the contrary, blessing, having known that to this ye were called, that a blessing ye may inherit;

Because Christ once went through pain for sins, the upright one taking the place of sinners, so that through him we might come back to God; being put to death in the flesh, but given life in the Spirit;

Who, in the days of Noah, went against God's orders; but God in his mercy kept back the punishment, while Noah got ready the ark, in which a small number, that is to say eight persons, got salvation through water:

Men who will give back an accounting to him who fares readily to judge the living and the dead.

So, as a joint-elder with them, a witness of the suffering borne by Christ, and a sharer of the glory that is to be uncovered, I beg the elders among you,

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].