1 Peter · Bible in Basic English
1 Peter 1 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
BBE Bible in Basic English
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
PT1904 Patriarchal Text 1904 (accented, eBible edition)
1 Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the saints who are living in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen ones who are living as foreigners in the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
1 Πέτρος, ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐκλεκτοῖς παρεπιδήμοις διασπορᾶς Πόντου, Γαλατίας, Καππαδοκίας, Ἀσίας καὶ Βιθυνίας,
2 Who, through the purpose of God, have been made holy by the Spirit, disciples of Jesus, made clean by his blood: May you have grace and peace in full measure.
2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
2 κατὰ πρόγνωσιν Θεοῦ πατρός, ἐν ἁγιασμῷ Πνεύματος, εἰς ὑπακοὴν καὶ ῥαντισμὸν αἵματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη πληθυνθείη.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who through his great mercy has given us a new birth and a living hope by the coming again of Jesus Christ from the dead,
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
3 Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ κατὰ τὸ πολὺ αὐτοῦ ἔλεος ἀναγεννήσας ἡμᾶς εἰς ἐλπίδα ζῶσαν δι᾽ ἀναστάσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκ νεκρῶν,
4 And a heritage fair, holy and for ever new, waiting in heaven for you,
4 to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you,
4 εἰς κληρονομίαν ἄφθαρτον καὶ ἀμίαντον καὶ ἀμάραντον, τετηρημένην ἐν οὐρανοῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς
5 Who, by the power of God are kept, through faith, for that salvation, which will be seen at the last day.
5 who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
5 τοὺς ἐν δυνάμει Θεοῦ φρουρουμένους διὰ πίστεως εἰς σωτηρίαν ἑτοίμην ἀποκαλυφθῆναι ἐν καιρῷ ἐσχάτῳ·
6 You have cause for great joy in this, though it may have been necessary for you to be troubled for a little time, being tested in all sorts of ways,
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved in various trials,
6 ἐν ᾧ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὀλίγον ἄρτι, εἰ δέον ἐστί, λυπηθέντες ἐν ποικίλοις πειρασμοῖς,
7 So that the true metal of your faith, being of much greater value than gold (which, though it comes to an end, is tested by fire), may come to light in praise and glory and honour, at the revelation of Jesus Christ:
7 that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ—
7 ἵνα τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως πολυτιμότερον χρυσίου τοῦ ἀπολλυμένου διὰ πυρὸς δὲ δοκιμαζομένου εὑρεθῇ εἰς ἔπαινον καὶ τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν ἐν ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,
8 To whom your love is given, though you have not seen him; and the faith which you have in him, though you do not see him now, gives you joy greater than words and full of glory:
8 whom, not having known, you love. In him, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory,
8 ὃν οὐκ εἰδότες ἀγαπᾶτε, εἰς ὃν ἄρτι μὴ ὁρῶντες, πιστεύοντες δὲ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε χαρᾷ ἀνεκλαλήτῳ καὶ δεδοξασμένῃ,
9 For so you have the true end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
9 receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
9 κομιζόμενοι τὸ τέλος τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν, σωτηρίαν ψυχῶν.
10 For the prophets who gave the news of the grace which would come to you, made search with all care for knowledge of this salvation;
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets sought and searched diligently. They prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
10 περὶ ἧς σωτηρίας ἐξεζήτησαν καὶ ἐξηρεύνησαν προφῆται οἱ περὶ τῆς εἰς ὑμᾶς χάριτος προφητεύσαντες,
11 Attempting to see what sort of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them was pointing to, when it gave witness to the pains which Christ would undergo and the glories which would come after them.
11 searching for who or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them pointed to when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow them.
11 ἐρευνῶντες εἰς τίνα ἢ ποῖον καιρὸν ἐδήλου τὸ ἐν αὐτοῖς Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ προμαρτυρόμενον τὰ εἰς Χριστὸν παθήματα καὶ τὰς μετὰ ταῦτα δόξας·
12 And it was made clear to those prophets that they were God's servants not for themselves but for you, to give you word of the things which have now come to your ears from the preachers of the good news through the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; things which even angels have a desire to see.
12 To them it was revealed that they served not themselves, but you, in these things, which now have been announced to you through those who preached the Good News to you by the Holy Spirit sent out from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.
12 οἷς ἀπεκαλύφθη ὅτι οὐχ ἑαυτοῖς, ὑμῖν δὲ διηκόνουν αὐτά, ἃ νῦν ἀνηγγέλη ὑμῖν διὰ τῶν εὐαγγελισαμένων ὑμᾶς ἐν Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ ἀποσταλέντι ἀπ᾽ οὐρανοῦ, εἰς ἃ ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ἄγγελοι παρακύψαι.
13 So make your minds ready, and keep on the watch, hoping with all your power for the grace which is to come to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
13 Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober, and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ—
13 Διὸ ἀναζωσάμενοι τὰς ὀσφύας τῆς διανοίας ὑμῶν, νήφοντες, τελείως ἐλπίσατε ἐπὶ τὴν φερομένην ὑμῖν χάριν ἐν ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,
14 Like children ruled by God, do not go back to the old desires of the time when you were without knowledge:
14 as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as in your ignorance,
14 ὡς τέκνα ὑπακοῆς μὴ συσχηματιζόμενοι ταῖς πρότερον ἐν τῇ ἀγνοίᾳ ὑμῶν ἐπιθυμίαις,
15 But be holy in every detail of your lives, as he, whose servants you are, is holy;
15 but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior,
15 ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν καλέσαντα ὑμᾶς ἅγιον καὶ αὐτοὶ ἅγιοι ἐν πάσῃ ἀναστροφῇ γενήθητε,
16 Because it has been said in the Writings, You are to be holy, for I am holy.
16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
16 διότι γέγραπται· ἅγιοι γίνεσθε, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιός εἰμι.
17 And if you give the name of Father to him who, judging every man by his acts, has no respect for a man's position, then go in fear while you are on this earth:
17 If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man’s work, pass the time of your living as foreigners here in reverent fear,
17 καὶ εἰ πατέρα ἐπικαλεῖσθε τὸν ἀπροσωπολήπτως κρίνοντα κατὰ τὸ ἑκάστου ἔργον, ἐν φόβῳ τὸν τῆς παροικίας ὑμῶν χρόνον ἀναστράφητε,
18 Being conscious that you have been made free from that foolish way of life which was your heritage from your fathers, not through a payment of things like silver or gold which come to destruction,
18 knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers,
18 εἰδότες ὅτι οὐ φθαρτοῖς, ἀργυρίῳ ἢ χρυσίῳ, ἐλυτρώθητε ἐκ τῆς ματαίας ὑμῶν ἀναστροφῆς πατροπαραδότου,
19 But through holy blood, like that of a clean and unmarked lamb, even the blood of Christ:
19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ,
19 ἀλλὰ τιμίῳ αἵματι ὡς ἀμνοῦ ἀμώμου καὶ ἀσπίλου Χριστοῦ,
20 Who was marked out by God before the making of the world, but was caused to be seen in these last times for you,
20 who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in this last age for your sake,
20 προεγνωσμένου μὲν πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, φανερωθέντος δὲ ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτων τῶν χρόνων δι᾽ ὑμᾶς
21 Who through him have faith in God who took him up again from the dead into glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God.
21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope might be in God.
21 τοὺς δι᾽ αὐτοῦ πιστεύοντας εἰς Θεὸν τὸν ἐγείραντα αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν καὶ δόξαν αὐτῷ δόντα, ὥστε τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν καὶ ἐλπίδα εἶναι εἰς Θεόν.
22 And as you have made your souls clean, being ruled by what is true, and loving one another without deceit, see that your love is warm and from the heart:
22 Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently,
22 Τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν ἡγνικότες ἐν τῇ ὑπακοῇ τῆς ἀληθείας διὰ Πνεύματος εἰς φιλαδελφίαν ἀνυπόκριτον, ἐκ καθαρᾶς καρδίας ἀλλήλους ἀγαπήσατε ἐκτενῶς,
23 Because you have had a new birth, not from the seed of man, but from eternal seed, through the word of a living and unchanging God.
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever.
23 ἀναγεγεννημένοι οὐκ ἐκ σπορᾶς φθαρτῆς, ἀλλὰ ἀφθάρτου, διὰ λόγου ζῶντος Θεοῦ καὶ μένοντος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα·
24 For it is said, All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the grass. The grass becomes dry and the flower dead:
24 For, “All flesh is like grass, and all of man’s glory like the flower in the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls;
24 διότι πᾶσα σὰρξ ὡς χόρτος, καὶ πᾶσα δόξα ἀνθρώπου ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου· ἐξηράνθη ὁ χόρτος, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσε·
25 But the word of the Lord is eternal. And this is the word of the good news which was given to you.
25 but the Lord’s word endures forever.” This is the word of Good News which was preached to you.
25 τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα Κυρίου μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. τοῦτο δέ ἐστι τὸ ῥῆμα τὸ εὐαγγελισθὲν εἰς ὑμᾶς.
Cross references (25)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 James 1:1; Acts 2:5–11; Hebrews 11:13; Ephesians 2:19; 1 Peter 2:11
- 2 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 1:4–5; Hebrews 12:24; 1 Peter 1:22; Romans 11:2
- 3 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 5:4; Romans 15:13; Titus 3:4–6; Ephesians 1:7
- 4 Revelation 21:27; Hebrews 9:15; 1 Peter 5:4; 2 Timothy 4:8; Matthew 25:34
- 5 Philippians 1:6; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 8:31–39; 2 Thessalonians 2:13–14; John 10:28–30
- 6 James 1:2; 1 Peter 5:10; Romans 12:12; Romans 5:2; Matthew 5:12
- 7 Job 23:10; James 1:12; Isaiah 48:10; 1 Peter 4:12; James 1:3–4
- 8 John 20:29; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Romans 15:13; Hebrews 11:1; John 16:22
- 9 Romans 6:22; James 1:21; Hebrews 11:13
- 10 Matthew 13:17; Luke 10:24; Daniel 2:44; Luke 24:25–27; John 5:39
- 11 2 Peter 1:21; Isaiah 52:13–14; Luke 24:25–27; Romans 8:9; Acts 26:22–23
- 12 John 15:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10; Ephesians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:25; Hebrews 11:39–40
- 13 1 Peter 5:8; Luke 12:35; 1 Peter 4:7; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 3:15
- 14 Romans 12:2; Titus 3:3–5; 1 Peter 4:2–3; Ephesians 2:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:5
- 15 Matthew 5:48; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 12:14; James 3:13; Ephesians 5:1–2
- 16 Leviticus 11:44; Leviticus 19:2; Leviticus 20:7
- 17 Acts 10:34–35; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Philippians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Matthew 6:9
- 18 1 Corinthians 6:20; Titus 2:14; Psalm 49:7–8; 1 Corinthians 7:23; Galatians 1:4
- 19 1 John 1:7; 1 Peter 2:22–24; John 1:29; Hebrews 9:12–14; Revelation 5:9
- 20 Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9–10; Hebrews 9:26; Revelation 13:8; Hebrews 1:2
- 21 Acts 2:24; John 12:44; Hebrews 2:9; Hebrews 7:25; Acts 2:32–33
- 22 1 Timothy 1:5; Hebrews 13:1; Romans 12:9–10; 1 Peter 3:8; 1 John 4:12
- 23 1 Peter 1:3; Hebrews 4:12; John 1:13; John 6:63; John 3:3
- 24 Isaiah 40:6–8; Psalm 103:15; James 4:14; James 1:10–11; Psalm 37:2
- 25 Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 5:18; Psalm 119:89; 1 Corinthians 15:1–4; 1 John 1:1
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sins suffered even unto death, [but] "whom God raised from the dead, having loosed the bands of the grave." "In whom, though now ye see Him not, ye believe, and believing, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory;" into which joy many desire to enter, knowing that "by grace ye are saved, not …
Admirable sophists, and explorers of the sublimities of the unknown Father, and rehearsers of those super-celestial mysteries "which the angels desire to look into!" --that they may learn that from the Nous of that Father who is above all, the Word was produced blind, that is, ignorant of the Father who produced him!
… God destroy." "Let no man deceive himself." But perhaps a man will say, "My soul is the temple of God, not my body," and will add this testimony also, "All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass." Unhappy interpretation!
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
For if we call on Him as Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, let us pass the time of our sojourning here in fear, loving not the world, neither the things that are in the world: for if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
"Wherefore, girding up your loins," "serve the Lord in fear" and truth, as those who have forsaken the vain, empty talk and error of the multitude, and "believed in Him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and gave Him glory," and a throne at His right hand.