1Pedro, apóstol de Jesucristo,
a los elegidos, extranjeros dispersos por el Ponto, Galacia, Capadocia, Asia y Bitinia, 2según la previsión1:2 la previsión. Lit. el conocimiento previo. de Dios el Padre, mediante la obra santificadora del Espíritu, para obedecer a Jesucristo y ser redimidos1:2 redimidos. Lit. rociados. por su sangre:
Que abunden en vosotros la gracia y la paz.
Alabanza a Dios por una esperanza viva
3¡Alabado sea Dios, Padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo! Por su gran misericordia, nos ha hecho nacer de nuevo mediante la resurrección de Jesucristo, para que tengamos una esperanza viva 4y recibamos una herencia indestructible, incontaminada e inmarchitable. Tal herencia está reservada en el cielo para vosotros, 5a quienes el poder de Dios protege mediante la fe hasta que llegue la salvación que se ha de revelar en los últimos tiempos. 6Esto es para vosotros motivo de gran alegría, a pesar de que hasta ahora habéis tenido que sufrir diversas pruebas por un tiempo. 7El oro, aunque perecedero, se acrisola al fuego. Así también vuestra fe, que vale mucho más que el oro, al ser acrisolada por las pruebas demostrará que es digna de aprobación, gloria y honor cuando Jesucristo se revele. 8Vosotros le amáis a pesar de no haberle visto; y, aunque no le veis ahora, creéis en él y os alegráis con un gozo indescriptible y glorioso, 9pues estáis obteniendo la meta de vuestra fe, que es vuestra salvación.
10Los profetas, que anunciaron la gracia reservada para vosotros, estudiaron cuidadosamente esta salvación. 11Querían descubrir a qué tiempo y a qué circunstancias se refería el Espíritu de Cristo, que estaba en ellos, cuando testificó de antemano acerca de los sufrimientos de Cristo y de la gloria que vendría después de estos. 12A ellos se les reveló que no se estaban sirviendo a sí mismos, sino que os servían a vosotros. Hablaban de las cosas que ahora os han anunciado los que os predicaron el evangelio por medio del Espíritu Santo enviado del cielo. Aun los mismos ángeles anhelan contemplar esas cosas.
Sed santos
13Por eso, disponeos para actuar con inteligencia;1:13 disponeos … inteligencia. Lit. ceñidos los lomos de su mente. tened dominio propio; poned vuestra esperanza completamente en la gracia que se os dará cuando se revele Jesucristo. 14Como hijos obedientes, no os amoldéis a los malos deseos que teníais antes, cuando vivíais en la ignorancia. 15Más bien, sed santos en todo lo que hagáis, como también es santo quien os llamó; 16pues está escrito: «Sed santos, porque yo soy santo».1:16 Lv 11:44,45; 19:2; 20:7; Is 40:6-8 17Ya que invocáis como Padre al que juzga con imparcialidad las obras de cada uno, vivid con temor reverente mientras seáis peregrinos en este mundo. 18Como bien sabéis, vosotros fuisteis rescatados de la vida absurda que heredasteis de vuestros antepasados. El precio de vuestro rescate no se pagó con cosas perecederas, como el oro o la plata, 19sino con la preciosa sangre de Cristo, como de un cordero sin mancha y sin defecto. 20Cristo, a quien Dios escogió antes de la creación del mundo, se ha manifestado en estos últimos tiempos en vuestro beneficio. 21Por medio de él creéis en Dios, que lo resucitó y glorificó, de modo que vuestra fe y vuestra esperanza están puestas en Dios.
22Ahora que os habéis purificado obedeciendo a la verdad y tenéis un amor sincero por los hermanos, amaos de todo corazón1:22 de todo corazón. Var. con corazón puro. los unos a los otros. 23Pues habéis nacido de nuevo, no de simiente perecedera, sino de simiente imperecedera, mediante la palabra de Dios que vive y permanece. 24Porque
«todo mortal es como la hierba,
y toda su gloria como la flor del campo;
la hierba se seca y la flor se cae,
25pero la palabra del Señor permanece para siempre».1:25 Is 40:6-8
Y esta es la palabra del evangelio que se os ha anunciado.
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.
