A Greeting from Peter (1 Peter 1:1–2)
1 UDB I, Simon Peter, am writing this letter to you. I serve Jesus Christ, and I am an apostle that he appointed. I am sending this letter to you whom God has caused to believe in Christ just as he caused us apostles to believe in Christ. You and we have the same honor of believing in Jesus Christ. He is God, he is completely just, he is the one whom we worship, and he is our Savior. BSB BSB: Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
2 UDB I pray that God will continue to act very kindly toward you and give you a deep peace because you truly know God and Jesus, who is our Lord. BSB BSB: Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Partakers of the Divine Nature 3 UDB God has given us everything that we need so that we might live forever and honor him. He does this by his power as God, and he does this because we know him. He has also given it to us as a result of our knowing him. He is the one who chose us to be his people because he is powerful and good. BSB BSB: His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
5 UDB Because God has done all that, do your best not only to believe in Christ, but to live good lives. And make sure that you are not only living good lives but that you are also learning more and more about God. BSB BSB: For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;
6 UDB In addition, do your best, not only to know more and more about God but also to control yourself in what you do and say. And make sure that you not only control what you do and say but also that you are faithful to him. And make sure that you are not only faithful to him but that you also honor him. BSB BSB: and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7 UDB And make sure that you do not only honor him but that you also have a concern for your fellow believers, as brothers and sisters ought to have for each other. And make sure that you not only have a concern for your fellow believers but that you also love others. BSB BSB: and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
8 UDB If you do all these things, and if you do them more and more, then that shows that knowing our Lord Jesus Christ produces very great results in your lives. BSB BSB: For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 UDB But if these things are not true about people, it means they are not aware that these things are important, just like a blind person is not aware of what is around him. They think only about earthly matters, just as a nearsighted person sees clearly only things that are near. It seems that they have forgotten that God has forgiven them for their former sinful lives. BSB BSB: But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10 UDB Instead of acting like those people, try to behave so as to make everyone know that God has chosen you to be his people. If you do that, you will certainly never become separated from God, BSB BSB: Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,
11 UDB and God will very wholeheartedly welcome you into the place where our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will rule his people forever. BSB BSB: and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
12 UDB I intend to keep on reminding you very frequently about these matters even though you already know them and are firmly convinced that they are true. BSB BSB: Therefore I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have.
13 UDB I consider it right that I should help you to continually think about these matters by reminding you about them as long as I am alive BSB BSB: I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of my body,
14 UDB because I know that I shall die soon, just as our Lord Jesus Christ has clearly revealed to me. BSB BSB: because I know that this tent will soon be laid aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
15 UDB Moreover, I will make every effort by writing these things down to enable you to remember them at all times after I have died. BSB BSB: And I will make every effort to ensure that after my departure, you will be able to recall these things at all times.
Eyewitnesses of His Majesty (Matthew 17:1–13; Mark 9:1–13; Luke 9:28–36)
17 UDB God our Father greatly honored him when God's great light surrounded him and he said, "This is my Son, whom I love very much; I am very pleased with him." BSB BSB: For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
18 UDB We ourselves heard God say that from heaven when we were with Christ on that holy mountain. BSB BSB: And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
19 UDB We are even more sure that what the prophets wrote about Christ long ago is completely reliable. Pay attention to what they wrote because it is like a lamp that is shining in a dark place that helps people see where they are going—a light that will shine until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. BSB BSB: We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
20 UDB It is important that you understand that no prophet could interpret by his own imagination. BSB BSB: Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation.
21 UDB No prophecies come from the decision of a human being. Those who spoke messages from God did so when the Holy Spirit helped them do it. Therefore the Spirit must also help us understand what they mean. BSB BSB: For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.