1 Peter · Bible in Basic English
1 Peter 2 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 So putting away all wrongdoing, and all tricks and deceits and envies and evil talk,
1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,
2 Be full of desire for the true milk of the word, as babies at their mothers' breasts, so that you may go on to salvation;
2 as newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk, that with it you may grow,
3 If you have had a taste of the grace of the Lord:
3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 To whom you come, as to a living stone, not honoured by men, but of great and special value to God;
4 Come to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious.
5 You, as living stones, are being made into a house of the spirit, a holy order of priests, making those offerings of the spirit which are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.
5 You also as living stones are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 Because it is said in the Writings, See, I am placing a keystone in Zion, of great and special value; and the man who has faith in him will not be put to shame.
6 Because it is contained in Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen and precious. He who believes in him will not be disappointed.”
7 And the value is for you who have faith; but it is said for those without faith, The very stone which the builders put on one side, was made the chief stone of the building;
7 For you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,”
8 And, A stone of falling, a rock of trouble; the word is the cause of their fall, because they go against it, and this was the purpose of God.
8 and, “a stumbling stone and a rock of offense.” For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed.
9 But you are a special people, a holy nation, priests and kings, a people given up completely to God, so that you may make clear the virtues of him who took you out of the dark into the light of heaven.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10 In the past you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; then there was no mercy for you, but now mercy has been given to you.
10 In the past, you were not a people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 My loved ones, I make this request with all my heart, that, as those for whom this world is a strange country, you will keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh which make war against the soul;
11 Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 Being of good behaviour among the Gentiles; so that though they say now that you are evil-doers, they may see your good works and give glory to God when he comes to be their judge.
12 having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Keep all the laws of men because of the Lord; those of the king, who is over all,
13 Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme,
14 And those of the rulers who are sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and for the praise of those who do well.
14 or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well.
15 Because it is God's pleasure that foolish and narrow-minded men may be put to shame by your good behaviour:
15 For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.
16 As those who are free, not using your free position as a cover for wrongdoing, but living as the servants of God;
16 Live as free people, yet not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.
17 Have respect for all, loving the brothers, fearing God, honouring the king.
17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
18 Servants, take orders from your masters with all respect; not only if they are good and gentle, but even if they are bad-humoured.
18 Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked.
19 For it is a sign of grace if a man, desiring to do right in the eyes of God, undergoes pain as punishment for something which he has not done.
19 For it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God.
20 What credit is it if, when you have done evil, you take your punishment quietly? but if you are given punishment for doing right, and take it quietly, this is pleasing to God.
20 For what glory is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if when you do well, you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God.
21 This is God's purpose for you: because Jesus himself underwent punishment for you, giving you an example, so that you might go in his footsteps:
21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps,
22 Who did no evil, and there was no deceit in his mouth:
22 who didn’t sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.”
23 To sharp words he gave no sharp answer; when he was undergoing pain, no angry word came from his lips; but he put himself into the hands of the judge of righteousness:
23 When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.
24 He took our sins on himself, giving his body to be nailed on the tree, so that we, being dead to sin, might have a new life in righteousness, and by his wounds we have been made well.
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds.
25 Because, like sheep, you had gone out of the way; but now you have come back to him who keeps watch over your souls.
25 For you were going astray like sheep; but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Cross references (25)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Ephesians 4:31; James 1:21; James 4:11; 1 Peter 3:10; Colossians 3:5–8
- 2 Hebrews 5:12–13; Ephesians 4:15; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 Corinthians 3:1–2; Mark 10:15
- 3 Psalm 34:8; Hebrews 6:5–6; Psalm 63:5; Zechariah 9:17; Psalm 24:8
- 4 Psalm 118:22–23; Acts 4:11–12; 1 Peter 2:7; Isaiah 28:16; Luke 20:17–18
- 5 Ephesians 2:20–22; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Corinthians 3:9; Revelation 5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:16
- 6 Isaiah 28:16; Romans 9:32–33; 1 Peter 2:4; Ephesians 2:20; Zechariah 10:4
- 7 Psalm 118:22–23; Acts 4:11–12; Mark 12:10–11; Matthew 21:42; 1 Peter 2:8
- 8 Isaiah 8:14; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Peter 2:7; Romans 9:32–33; Romans 9:22
- 9 Exodus 19:5–6; Deuteronomy 7:6; Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5:10; Isaiah 61:6
- 10 Hosea 2:23; Hosea 1:9–10; Hebrews 4:16; Romans 9:25–26; Romans 11:6–7
- 11 1 John 2:15–17; Galatians 5:24; 1 Peter 4:2; Hebrews 11:13; Romans 8:13
- 12 1 Peter 3:16; Matthew 5:16; Titus 2:7–8; Philippians 2:15–16; 2 Corinthians 8:21
- 13 Titus 3:1; Romans 13:1–7; 1 Timothy 2:1–2; Luke 20:25; Proverbs 24:21
- 14 Romans 13:3–4
- 15 1 Peter 3:17; Titus 2:8; 1 Peter 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Matthew 7:26
- 16 Galatians 5:13; Romans 6:22; Romans 6:18; 1 Corinthians 7:22; James 1:25
- 17 Proverbs 24:21; Romans 12:10; Romans 13:7; Philippians 2:3; 1 Peter 5:5
- 18 Titus 2:9–10; Colossians 3:22–25; Ephesians 6:5–7; 1 Timothy 6:1–3; Proverbs 3:32
- 19 Matthew 5:10–12; 1 Peter 3:14–17; 1 Peter 2:20; Luke 6:32; 1 Corinthians 15:10
- 20 1 Peter 2:19; 1 Peter 3:17; Matthew 5:10–12; 1 Peter 3:14; 1 Peter 4:14–16
- 21 1 John 2:6; Matthew 16:24; John 13:15; Ephesians 5:2; 1 John 3:16
- 22 Isaiah 53:9; Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5; Hebrews 7:26–27
- 23 Isaiah 53:7; 1 Peter 4:19; Hebrews 12:3; Psalm 37:5; Acts 4:29
- 24 Isaiah 53:4–6; Matthew 8:17; Romans 6:11; Revelation 22:2; 1 John 2:29
- 25 Isaiah 53:6; Ezekiel 34:6; Luke 15:4–6; Acts 20:28; John 10:11–16
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).
Let us then continually persevere in our hope, and the earnest of our righteousness, which is Jesus Christ, "who bore our sins in His own body on the tree," "who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth," but endured all things for us, that we might live in Him.
And for this reason Peter says "that we have not liberty as a cloak of maliciousness," but as the means of testing and evidencing faith.
25. But you, "chosen generation, you weak things of the world," who have forsaken all things that you might "follow the Lord," go after Him, and "confound the things which are mighty;" go after Him, ye beautiful feet, and shine in the firmament, that the heavens may declare His glory, dividing between the light of the perfect, though not as …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
He is called a Stone, not a lifeless stone, cut out by men's hands, but a chief corner-stone, on whom whosoever believeth shall not be put to shame.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
When you can do good, defer it not, because "alms delivers from death." Be all of you subject one to another "having your conduct blameless among the Gentiles," that ye may both receive praise for your good works, and the Lord may not be blasphemed through you.