1我是耶穌基督的使徒彼得，寫信給蒙上帝揀選，寄居在本都、加拉太、加帕多迦、亞細亞、庇推尼各地的人。 2你們蒙揀選是按照父上帝預先定好的旨意，藉著聖靈得以聖潔，好順服耶穌基督，並靠祂的血得到潔淨。
願上帝賜給你們豐豐富富的恩典和平安！
活潑的盼望
3願頌讚歸於我們主耶穌基督的父上帝！祂有無窮的憐憫，藉著耶穌基督從死裡復活使我們獲得重生，有活潑的盼望， 4可以承受那不會朽壞、沒有污點、不會衰殘、為你們存留在天上的產業。 5你們這些因信而蒙上帝用大能保守的人，必能得到那已經預備好、在末世要顯明的救恩。
6為此，即使現今你們必須暫時在百般試煉中忍受痛苦，也要滿懷喜樂。 7這樣，你們的信心經過試驗便顯明是真實的，比那經過火煉仍會壞掉的金子更加寶貴，使你們可以在耶穌基督顯現時得到稱讚、榮耀和尊貴。 8你們雖然沒有見過基督，卻愛祂；雖然現在看不見祂，卻信祂，並且有無法形容、充滿榮耀的喜樂。 9因為你們得到了信心帶來的果效，就是你們的靈魂得救。
10有關這救恩，那些預言恩典要臨到你們的眾先知早已詳細尋求查考了。 11基督的靈曾在他們心中指示他們，預言基督要受苦，然後得榮耀。他們便詳細查考這些事會在什麼時候、什麼情況下發生。 12他們得到啟示，知道他們傳講這些事不是為了自己，而是為了你們。現在，那些靠著從天上差來的聖靈向你們傳福音的人，已經將這些事傳給你們了。連天使也想把這些事看個明白。
要聖潔像主
13所以，要預備好你們的心，謹慎自律，專心盼望耶穌基督顯現時要帶給你們的恩典。 14你們既是順服的兒女，就不要再像從前無知的時候那樣放縱私慾。 15那呼召你們的是聖潔的，你們在一切事上也要聖潔。 16因為聖經上說：「你們要聖潔，因為我是聖潔的。」
17既然你們稱呼那位按各人的行為公正無私地審判人的上帝為父，就應該存著敬畏的心過你們在世上寄居的日子。 18要知道，你們從傳統的、沒有意義的生活中被救贖出來，不是靠金銀等會朽壞的東西， 19而是靠無瑕無疵的代罪羔羊——基督的寶血。 20基督是上帝在創世以前預先揀選的，卻在這末世為你們顯現。 21你們藉著基督信了使祂從死裡復活、賜祂榮耀的上帝，所以，你們的信心和盼望都在於上帝。
22你們既因順服真理，潔淨了自己的心，能夠真誠地愛弟兄姊妹，就當以清潔的心彼此切實相愛。 23你們獲得重生，不是藉著會腐爛的種子，而是藉著不會腐爛的種子——上帝活潑永存的道。 24因為
「芸芸眾生盡如草，
榮華不過草上花；
草必枯乾花必殘，
25唯有主道永長存。」
這道就是傳給你們的福音。
1I, Peter, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Jesus Christ.
I am sending this letter to you, God’s chosen people. You are people who have had to wander in the world. You are scattered all over the areas of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. 2You have been chosen in keeping with what God the Father had planned. That happened through the Spirit’s work to make you pure and holy. God chose you so that you might obey Jesus Christ. God wanted you to be in a covenant relationship with him. He established this relationship by the blood of Christ.
May more and more grace and peace be given to you.
Peter Praises God for a Living Hope
3Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us a new birth and a living hope. This hope is living because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. 4He has given us new birth so that we might share in what belongs to him. This is a gift that can never be destroyed. It can never spoil or even fade away. It is kept in heaven for you. 5Through faith you are kept safe by God’s power. Your salvation is going to be completed. It is ready to be shown to you in the last days. 6Because you know all this, you have great joy. You have joy even though you may have had to suffer for a little while. You may have had to suffer sadness in all kinds of trouble. 7Your troubles have come in order to prove that your faith is real. Your faith is worth more than gold. That’s because gold can pass away even when fire has made it pure. Your faith is meant to bring praise, honor and glory to God. This will happen when Jesus Christ returns. 8Even though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, you believe in him. You are filled with a glorious joy that can’t be put into words. 9You are receiving the salvation of your souls. This salvation is the final result of your faith.
10The prophets searched very hard and with great care to find out about this salvation. They spoke about the grace that was going to come to you. 11They wanted to find out when and how this salvation would come. The Spirit of Christ in them was telling them about the sufferings of the Messiah. These were his sufferings that were going to come. The Spirit of Christ was also telling them about the glory that would follow. 12It was made known to the prophets that they were not serving themselves. Instead, they were serving you when they spoke about the things that you have now heard. Those who have preached the good news to you have told you these things. They have done it with the help of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
Be Holy
13So be watchful, and control yourselves completely. In this way, put your hope in the grace that lies ahead. This grace will be brought to you when Jesus Christ returns. 14You should obey your Father. You shouldn’t give in to evil desires. They controlled your life when you didn’t know any better. 15The God who chose you is holy. So you should be holy in all that you do. 16It is written, “Be holy, because I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:44,45; 19:2)
17You call on a Father who judges each person’s work without favoring one over another. So live as outsiders during your time here. Live with the highest respect for God. 18You were set free from an empty way of life. This way of life was handed down to you by your own people of long ago. You know that you were not bought with things that can pass away, like silver or gold. 19Instead, you were bought with the priceless blood of Christ. He is a perfect lamb. He doesn’t have any flaws at all. 20He was chosen before God created the world. But he came into the world for your sake in these last days. 21Because of what Christ has done, you believe in God. It was God who raised him from the dead. And it was God who gave him glory. So your faith and hope are in God.
22You have made yourselves pure by obeying the truth. So you have an honest and true love for each other. So love one another deeply, from your hearts. 23You have been born again by means of the living word of God. His word lasts forever. You were not born again from a seed that will die. You were born from a seed that can’t die. 24It is written,
“All people are like grass.
All their glory is like the flowers in the field.
The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground.
25But the word of the Lord lasts forever.” (Isaiah 40:6–8)
And this is the word that was preached to you.
