
{1}1{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}From Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ, to the Jews who live 
outside their homeland, scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, 
Asia and Bithynia,
[=]_{R}_{I}2_{/}to those whom God the Father has called, according to his 
plan, and made holy by the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be 
purified by his blood: may grace and peace increase among you.

{N}YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED{/}

[*]_{R}_{I}3_{/}Let us praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
for his great mercy. In raising Jesus Christ from the dead he has 
given us new life and the hope of sharing life [=]_{R}_{I}4_{/}beyond 
death, sin and all fleeting things. This inheritance is kept in 
the heavens for you, [=]_{R}_{I}5_{/}since God's power shall keep you 
faithful until salvation is revealed in the last days.
[=]_{I}6_{/}There is cause for joy, then, even though you may, for a 
time, have to suffer many trials. [=]_{R}_{I}7_{/}Thus will your faith be 
tested, like gold in a furnace. Gold, however, passes away but 
faith, worth so much more, will bring you in the end praise, glory 
and honor when Jesus Christ appears.
[=]_[*]_{I}8_{/}You have not yet seen him and yet you love him; even 
without seeing him, you believe in him and experience a heavenly 
joy beyond all words, {I}9_{/}for you are reaching the goal of your 
faith: the salvation of your souls.
[=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}This was the salvation for which the prophets so eagerly 
looked when, in days past, they foretold the favor of God with 
regard to you. [=]_{R}_{I}11_{/}But they could only investigate when the 
Spirit of Christ present within them pointed out the time and the 
circumstances of this - the sufferings of Christ and the glories 
which would follow.
[=]_{R}_{I}12_{/}It was revealed to them that they were working not for 
themselves but for you. Thus, in these days, after the Holy Spirit 
has been sent from heaven, the Gospel's preachers have taught you 
these mysteries which even the angels long to see.

{N}BE HOLY{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}13_{/}So, then, let your spirit be ready. Be alert, with 
confident trust in the grace you will receive when Jesus Christ 
appears. {R}_{I}14_{/}Like obedient children, do not return to your 
former life given over to ignorance and passions. [=]_{I}15_{/}Imitate 
the one who called you. As he is holy so you, too, be holy in all 
your conduct, [=]_{I}16_{/}since Scripture says: Be holy for I am 
holy.
{R}_{I}17_{/}You call upon a Father who makes no distinction between 
persons but judges according to each one's deeds; take seriously, 
then, these years which you spend in a strange land. 
[=]_{I}18_{/}Remember that you were freed from the useless way of life 
of your ancestors, not with gold and silver {I}19_{/}but with the 
precious blood of the Lamb without spot or blemish. [=]_{R}_{I}20_{/}God, 
who has known Christ before the world began, revealed him to you 
in the last days. [=]_{R}_{I}21_{/}Through him, you have faith in God who 
raised him from the dead and glorified him in order that you might 
put all your faith and hope in God.
[=]_{I}22_{/}In obeying the truth, you have gained interior 
purification from which comes sincere mutual love. Love one 
another, then, with all your heart, [=]_{R}_{I}23_{/}since you are born 
again, not from mortal beings, but with enduring life, through the 
Word of God who lives and remains forever. [=]_{I}24_{/}It is written: 
All flesh is grass and its glory like the flowers of the field. 
The grass withers and the flower falls, but the Word of the Lord 
endures forever. This Word is the Gospel which has been brought to 
you.

{N}CHRIST IS THE CORNERSTONE{/}

{1}2{/}

[\u0095]_[=]_{I}1_{/}So, give up all evil and deceit, hypocrisy, envy and 
every kind of gossip. [=]_{I}2_{/}Like newborn children, seek eagerly 
for the pure milk of the Word which will help you grow and reach 
salvation. [=]_{I}3_{/}Did you not taste the goodness of the Lord? 
[=]_{R}_{I}4_{/}He is the living stone rejected by people but chosen by 
God and precious to him. [=]_{R}_{I}5_{/}On drawing close to him, you 
also became living stones built into a spiritual temple, a holy 
community of priests offering spiritual sacrifices which please 
God through Jesus Christ. [=]_{I}6_{/}Scripture says: See, I lay in 
Zion a chosen and precious cornerstone; whoever believes in him 
will not be disappointed.
[=]_{I}7_{/}This means honor for you who believed, but for unbelievers 
also the stone which the builders rejected has become the 
cornerstone [=]_{R}_{I}8_{/}and it is a stone to stumble over, a rock 
which lays people low. They stumble over it in rejecting the Word, 
but the plan of God is fulfilled in this.
[=]_{R}_{I}9_{/}You are a chosen race, a community of priest-kings, a 
consecrated nation, a people God has made his own to proclaim his 
wonders. For he called you from your darkness to his own wonderful 
light. [=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}At one stage you were no people, but now you are 
God's people, you had not received his mercy, but now you have 
been given mercy.

{N}LIVE A BLAMELESS LIFE{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}11_{/}Beloved, while you are strangers and exiles, I urge you 
not to indulge in selfish passions which wage war on the soul. 
{R}_{I}12_{/}Live a blameless life among the pagans; so when they accuse 
you falsely of any wrong, they may see your good works and give 
glory to God on the day he comes to them.
[=]_{R}_{I}13_{/}For the Lord's sake, respect all human authority: the 
king as chief authority, {I}14_{/}the governors as sent by him to 
punish evildoers and to encourage those who do good. {R}_{I}15_{/}And God 
wants you to do good so that you may silence those fools who 
ignorantly criticize you. [=]_{R}_{I}16_{/}Behave as free people but do 
not speak of freedom as a license for vice; you are free men and 
God's servants. [=]_{R}_{I}17_{/}Reverence each person, love your 
brothers and sisters, fear God and show respect to the emperor.
[=]_{I}18_{/}Servants must respect their masters, not only those who 
are good and understanding but also those who are difficult. 
{R}_{I}19_{/}For there is merit in putting up with unprovoked suffering, 
for the sake of God. {R}_{I}20_{/}What merit would there be in taking a 
beating when you have done wrong? But if you endure punishment 
when you have done well, that is a grace before God.
{I}21_{/}This is your calling: remember Christ who suffered for you, 
leaving you an example so that you may follow in his way. 
[=]_{I}22_{/}He did no wrong and there was no deceit in his mouth. 
{R}_{I}23_{/}He did not return insult for insult and, when suffering, he 
did not curse but put himself in the hands of God who judges 
justly. [=]_{I}24_{/}He went to the cross burdened with our sins so 
that we might die to sin and live an upright life. For by his 
wounds you have been healed. [=]_{I}25_{/}You were like stray sheep, 
but you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

{N}DUTIES OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES{/}

{1}3{/}

[\u0095]_[=]_{I}1_{/}In the same way, wives must be submissive to their 
husbands. If any of them resists the Word, they will be won over 
without words by the conduct of their wives. {R}_{I}2_{/}It will be 
enough for them to see your responsible and blameless conduct.
[=]_{I}3_{/}Do not be taken up with outward appearances: hairstyles, 
gold necklaces and clothes. {R}_{I}4_{/}There is something more permanent 
that shines from within a person: a gentle and peaceful 
disposition. This is really precious in God's eyes. {R}_{I}5_{/}This was 
the way the holy women of the past dressed. They put their trust 
in God and were obedient to their husbands, [=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}namely Sarah 
who had such respect for Abraham that she called him her lord. You 
are her children if you do what is right and are not afraid.
[=]_{R}_{I}7_{/}Husbands, in your turn, be sensible in your life 
together. Be considerate, realizing that the woman is of a more 
frail disposition and that you both share in the gift of life. If 
you do this, God will readily answer your prayers.
[=]_{I}8_{/}Finally, you should all be of one mind: share each other's 
troubles with mutual affection, be compassionate and humble. 
[=]_{I}9_{/}Do not repay evil for evil or answer one insult with 
another. Give a blessing, instead, since this is what you have 
been called to do, and so you will receive the blessing. 
[=]_{I}10_{/}For if you seek life and want to see happiness, keep your 
tongue from evil and your mouth from speaking deceit. {I}11_{/}Turn 
away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. {I}12_{/}Because 
the Lord's eyes are turned to the just and his ears listen to 
their appeal. But the Lord frowns on evildoers.

{N}DO NOT FEAR OR BE DISTURBED{/}

[=]_{I}13_{/}Who can harm you if you devote yourselves to doing good? 
{I}14_{/}If you suffer for the sake of righteousness, happy are you. 
Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed as they are, 
[=]_{I}15_{/}but bless the Lord Christ in your hearts. Always have an 
answer ready when you are called upon to account for your hope, 
but give it simply and with respect. {I}16_{/}Keep your conscience 
clear so that those who slander you may be put to shame by your 
upright, Christian living. {R}_{I}17_{/}Better to suffer for doing good, 
if it is God's will, than for doing wrong.

{N}ENDURE SUFFERINGS AS CHRIST DID{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}18_{/}Remember how Christ died, once and for all, for our 
sins. He, the just one, died for the unjust in order to lead us to 
God. He died as humans do, but was raised to life by the Spirit, 
{I}19_{/}and it was then that he went to preach to the imprisoned 
spirits. [=]_{R}_{I}20_{/}They were the generation who did not believe 
when God, in his great patience, delayed punishing the world while 
Noah was building the ark in which a small group of eight persons 
escaped through water. [=]_{I}21{/} That was a type of the baptism 
which now saves you; this baptism is not a matter of physical 
cleansing but of asking God to reconcile us through the 
resurrection of Christ Jesus. {I}22{/} He has ascended to heaven and 
is at the right hand of God, having subjected the angels, 
Dominations and Powers.

{1}4{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}Given that Christ suffered in his human life, arm 
yourselves with this certainty: the one who suffers in his body 
has broken with sin [=]_{R}_{I}2_{/}so as to spend the rest of his life 
following the will of God and not human passions.
[=]_{I}3_{/}You have given enough time, in the past, to living as the 
pagans do: a life of excess, evil passions, drunkenness, orgies 
and worship of idols. {I}4_{/}They now find it strange that you are no 
longer swept along with them in this ruinous flood, and they 
misinterpret it. {R}_{I}5_{/}But they will be accountable to the one who 
is ready to judge the living and the dead. {R}_{I}6_{/}The Gospel has 
been preached to many who are now dead. As humans they received a 
deadly sentence, but through the Spirit they shall live for God.
{I}7_{/}The end of all things is near; live wisely and spend evening 
time praying. [=]_{I}8_{/}Above all, let your love for one another be 
sincere, for love covers a multitude of sins. {I}9_{/}Welcome one 
another into your houses without complaining. [=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}Serve one 
another with the gifts each of you received, thus becoming good 
managers of the varied graces of God. {R}_{I}11_{/}If you speak, deliver 
the word of God; if you have a special ministry, let it be seen as 
God's power so that, in everything, God may be glorified in Jesus 
Christ. To him belong glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

{N}BE GLAD TO SHARE IN THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST{/}

[\u0095]_{I}12_{/}My dear people, do not be surprised that you are being 
tested by fire. It is not an unusual occurrence. {I}13_{/}Instead, you 
should be glad to share in the sufferings of Christ because, on 
the day his Glory is revealed, you will also fully rejoice. 
[=]_{R}_{I}14_{/}You are fortunate if you are insulted because of the 
name of Christ, for the Spirit of glory rests on you. {I}15_{/}I 
suppose that none of you should suffer for being a murderer, a 
thief, a criminal or an informer; {R}_{I}16_{/}but if anyone suffers on 
account of being a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace; 
rather let this name bring glory to God.
[=]_{R}_{I}17_{/} The time of judgment has come and it begins with God's 
household. If its beginning so affects us, what will be the end of 
those who refuse to believe in the Gospel? [=]_{I}18_{/}If the just 
one is barely saved, what will happen to the sinner and 
unbeliever? [=]_{R}_{I}19_{/}So, then, if you suffer according to God's 
will, entrust yourself to the faithful Creator and continue to do 
good.

{N}FURTHER ADMONITIONS{/}

{1}5{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}I now address myself to those elders among you; I, too, am 
an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, hoping to 
share the Glory which is to be revealed. [=]_{R}_{I}2_{/}Shepherd the 
flock which God has entrusted to you, guarding it not out of 
obligation but willingly for God's sake; not as one looking for a 
reward but with a generous heart; [=]_{I}3_{/}do not lord it over 
those in your care, rather be an example to your flock. {I}4_{/}Then, 
when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will be given a crown of 
unfading glory.
[=]_{R}_{I}5_{/}In the same way, let the younger ones among you respect 
the authority of the elders. All of you, be humble in your 
dealings with each other, because God opposes the proud but gives 
his grace to the humble.
{R}_{I}6_{/}Bow down, then, before the power of God so that he will raise 
you up at the appointed time. [=]_{I}7_{/}Place all your worries on 
him since he takes care of you.
[=]_{I}8_{/}Be sober and alert because your enemy the devil prowls 
about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. {I}9_{/}Stand 
your ground, firm in your faith, knowing that our brothers and 
sisters, scattered throughout the world, are confronting similar 
persecutions. [=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}God, the giver of all grace, has called 
you to share in Christ's eternal Glory and after you have suffered 
a little he will bring you to perfection: he will confirm, 
strengthen and establish you forever. {I}11_{/}Glory be to him forever 
and ever. Amen.
[\u0095]_[=]_{R}_{I}12_{/}I have had these few lines of encouragement written 
to you by Silvanus, our brother, whom I know to be trustworthy. 
For I wanted to remind you of the kindness of God really present 
in all this. Hold on to it.
{R}_{I}13_{/}Greetings from the community in Babylon, gathered by God, 
and from my son, Mark.
{I}14_{/}Greet one another with a friendly embrace. Peace to you all 
who are in Christ.

