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1ST
PETER
CHAPTER
1
1
Peter an Apostle of Iesvs Christ, to the strangers that dwell here and there
throughout
Pontus
,
Galatia
, Cappadocia, Asia and
Bithynia
,
2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God ye Father vnto sanctification of
ye Spirit, through obedience and sprinkeling of the blood of Iesus Christ: Grace
and peace bee multiplied vnto you.
3 Blessed bee God, euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, which according to
his aboundant mercie hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the
resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance immortall and vndefiled, and that withereth not, reserued in
heauen for vs,
5 Which are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation, which is
prepared to be shewed in the last time.
6 Wherein yee reioyce, though nowe for a season (if neede require) yee are in
heauinesse, through manifolde tentations,
7 That the triall of your faith, being much more precious then golde that
perisheth (though it be tried with fire) might bee founde vnto your praise, and
honour and glorie at the appearing of Iesus Christ:
8 Whome yee haue not seene, and yet loue him, in whome nowe, though yee see him
not, yet doe you beleeue, and reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious,
9 Receiuing the ende of your faith, euen the saluation of your soules.
10 Of the which saluation ye Prophets haue inquired and searched, which
prophecied of the grace that should come vnto you,
11 Searching when or what time the Spirite which testified before of Christ
which was in them, shoulde declare the sufferings that should come vnto Christ,
and the glorie that shoulde followe.
12 Vnto whome it was reueiled, that not vnto themselues, but vnto vs they
shoulde minister the things, which are nowe shewed vnto you by them which haue
preached vnto you the Gospell by the holy Ghost sent downe from heauen, the
which things the Angels desire to beholde.
13 Wherefore, girde vp the Ioynes of your minde: bee sober, and trust perfectly
on that grace that is brought vnto you, in the reuelation of Iesus Christ,
14 As obedient children, not fashioning your selues vnto the former lustes of
your ignorance:
15 But as hee which hath called you, is holie, so be yee holie in all maner of
conuersation;
16 Because it is written, Be yee holie, for I am holie.
17 And if ye call him Father, which without respect of person iudgeth according
to euery mans woorke, passe the time of your dwelling here in feare,
18 Knowing that yee were not redeemed with corruptible things, as siluer and
golde, from your vaine conuersation, receiued by the traditions of the fathers,
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lambe vndefiled, and without
spot.
20 Which was ordeined before the foundation of the world, but was declared in
the last times for your sakes,
21 Which by his meanes doe beleeue in God that raised him from the dead, and
gaue him glorie, that your faith and hope might bee in God,
22 Hauing purified your soules in obeying the trueth through the spirite, to
loue brotherly without faining, loue one another with a pure heart feruently,
23 Being borne anewe, not of mortall seede, but of immortall, by the woorde of
God, who liueth and endureth for euer.
24 For all flesh is as grasse, and all the glorie of man is as the flower of
grasse
. The
grasse
withereth, and the flower falleth away.
25 But the woorde of the Lorde endureth for euer: and this is the woorde which
is preached among you.
CHAPTER
2
1 Wherefore, laying aside all maliciousnes, and all guile, and dissimulation,
and enuie, and all euill speaking,
2 As newe borne babes desire that sincere milke of the woorde, that yee may
growe thereby,
3 Because yee haue tasted that the Lorde is bountifull.
4 To whome coming as vnto a liuing stone disalowed of men, but chosen of God and
precious,
5 Yee also as liuely stones, bee made a spirituall house, an holy Priesthoode to
offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is conteyned in the Scripture, Beholde, I put in Sion a
chiefe corner stone, elect and precious: and hee that beleeueth therein, shall
not be ashamed.
7 Vnto you therefore which beleeue, it is precious: but vnto them which be
disobedient, the stone which the builders disalowed, the same is made the head
of the corner,
8 And a stone to stumble at, and a rocke of offence, euen to them which stumble
at the woorde, being disobedient, vnto the which thing they were euen ordeined.
9 But yee are a chosen generation, a royall Priesthoode, an holy nation, a
people set at libertie, that yee shoulde shewe foorth the vertues of him that
hath called you out of darkenesse into his marueilous light,
10 Which in time past were not a people, yet are nowe the people of God: which
in time past were not vnder mercie, but nowe haue obteined mercie.
11 Dearely beloued, I beseeche you, as strangers and pilgrims, absteine from
fleshly lusts, which fight against the soule,
12 And haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles, that they which speake
euill of you as of euill doers, may by your good woorkes which they shall see,
glorifie God in the day of visitation.
13 Therefore submit your selues vnto all maner ordinance of man for the Lordes
sake, whether it be vnto the King, as vnto the superiour,
14 Or vnto gouernours, as vnto them that are sent of him, for the punishment of
euill doers, and for the praise of them that doe well.
15 For so is the will of God, that by well doing ye may put to silence the
ignorance of the foolish men,
16 As free, and not as hauing the libertie for a cloke of maliciousnesse, but as
the seruauntes of God.
17 Honour all men: loue brotherly fellowship: feare God: honour the King.
18 Seruaunts, be subiect to your masters with all feare, not onely to the good
and courteous, but also to the froward.
19 For this is thanke worthie, if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe,
suffering wrongfully.
20 For what praise is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faultes, yee take it
paciently? but and if when ye doe well, ye suffer wrong and take it paciently,
this is acceptable to God.
21 For hereunto ye are called: for Christ also suffred for you, leauing you an
ensample that ye should folow his steppes.
22 Who did no sinne, neither was there guile found in his mouth.
23 Who when hee was reuiled, reuiled not againe: when hee suffered, hee
threatned not, but comitted it to him that iudgeth righteously.
24 Who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree, that we being
dead to sinne, should liue in righteousnesse: by whose stripes ye were healed.
25 For ye were as sheepe going astray: but are nowe returned vnto the shepheard
and Bishop of your soules.
CHAPTER
3
1 Likewise let the wiues bee subiect to their husbandes, that euen they which
obey not the worde, may without the worde be wonne by the conuersation of the
wiues,
2 While they beholde your pure conuersation, which is with feare.
3 Whose apparelling, let it not be that outwarde, with broyded heare, and golde
put about, or in putting on of apparell:
4 But let it bee the hidde man of the heart, which consisteth in the
incorruption of a meeke and quiet spirite, which is before God a thing much set
by.
5 For euen after this maner in time past did the holy women, which trusted in
God, tire them selues, and were subiect to their husbands.
6 As Sara obeyed Abraham, and called him Sir: whose daughters ye are, whiles yee
doe well, not being afraide of any terrour.
7 Likewise ye husbands, dwel with them as men of knowledge, giuing honour vnto
the woman, as vnto the weaker vessell, euen as they which are heires together of
the grace of life, that your prayers be not interrupted.
8 Finally, be ye all of one minde: one suffer with another: loue as brethren:
bee pitifull: bee courteous,
9 Not rendring euil for euill, neither rebuke for rebuke: but contrarywise
blesse, knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should be heires of
blessing.
10 For if any man long after life, and to see good dayes, let him refraine his
tongue from euill, and his lippes that they speake no guile.
11 Let him eschew euil, and do good: let him seeke peace, and folow after it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are ouer the righteous, & his eares are open
vnto their prayers: and the face of the Lord is against them that do euil.
13 And who is it that will harme you, if ye folow that which is good?
14 Notwithstanding blessed are ye, if ye suffer for righteousnes sake. Yea,
feare not their feare, neither be troubled.
15 But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready alwayes to giue an
answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with
meekenesse and reuerence,
16 Hauing a good coscience, that whe they speake euill of you as of euill doers,
they may be ashamed, which slander your good conuersation in Christ.
17 For it is better (if the will of God be so) that ye suffer for well doing,
then for euil doing.
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sinnes, the iust for the vniust, that
he might bring vs to God, and was put to death concerning the flesh, but was
quickened by the spirit.
19 By the which hee also went, and preached vnto the spirits that are in prison.
20 Which were in time passed disobedient, when once the long suffering of God
abode in the dayes of Noe, while the Arke was preparing, wherein fewe, that is,
eight soules were saued in the water.
21 Whereof the baptisme that nowe is, answering that figure, (which is not a
putting away of the filth of the flesh, but a confident demaunding which a good
conscience maketh to God) saueth vs also by the resurrection of Iesus Christ,
22 Which is at the right hande of God, gone into heauen, to whome the Angels,
and Powers, and might are subiect.
CHAPTER
4
1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh, arme your selues
likewise with the same minde, which is, that he which hath suffered in the
flesh, hath ceased from sinne,
2 That he hence forward should liue (as much time as remaineth in the flesh) not
after the lusts of men, but after the will of God.
3 For it is sufficient for vs that we haue spet the time past of ye life, after
the lust of the Gentiles, walking in wantonnes, lustes, drunkenes, in gluttonie,
drinkings, & in abominable idolatries.
4 Wherein it seemeth to them strange, that yee runne not with them vnto the same
excesse of riot: therefore speake they euill of you,
5 Which shall giue accounts to him, that is readie to iudge quicke and dead.
6 For vnto this purpose was the Gospell preached also vnto the dead, that they
might bee condemned, according to men in the flesh, but might liue according to
God in the spirit.
7 Now the ende of all things is at hand. Be ye therefore sober, and watching in
prayer.
8 But aboue all thinges haue feruent loue among you: for loue shall couer the
multitude of sinnes.
9 Be ye harberous one to another, without grudging.
10 Let euery man as hee hath receiued the gift, minister the same one to
another, as good disposers of the manifolde grace of God.
11 If any man speake, let him speake as the wordes of God. If any man minister,
let him do it as of the abilitie which God ministreth, that God in al things may
be glorified through Iesus Christ, to whome is prayse and dominion for euer, and
euer, Amen.
12 Dearely beloued, thinke it not strange concerning the firie triall, which is
among you to proue you, as though some strange thing were come vnto you:
13 But reioyce, in asmuch as ye are partakers of Christs suffrings, that when
his glory shall appeare, ye may be glad and reioyce.
14 If yee be railed vpon for the Name of Christ, blessed are ye: for the spirit
of glory, and of God resteth vpon you: which on their part is euill spoken of:
but on your part is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murtherer, or as a thiefe, or an euil doer,
or as a busibodie in other mens matters.
16 But if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not bee ashamed: but let him
glorifie God in this behalfe.
17 For the time is come, that iudgement must beginne at the house of God. If it
first beginne at vs, what shall the ende be of them which obey not the Gospel of
God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely bee saued, where shall the vngodly and the
sinner appeare?
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit their
soules to him in well doing, as vnto a faithfull Creator.
CHAPTER
5
1 The elders which are among you, I beseech which am also an elder, and a
witnesse of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that
shalbe reueiled,
2 Feede the flocke of God, which dependeth vpo you, caring for it not by
constraint, but willingly: not for filthy lucre, but of a ready minde:
3 Not as though ye were lords ouer Gods heritage, but that yee may bee ensamples
to the flocke.
4 And when that chiefe shepheard shal appeare, ye shall receiue an incorruptible
crowne of glory.
5 Likewise ye yonger, submit your selues vnto the elders, & submit your
selues euery man, one to another: decke your selues inwardly in lowlinesse of
minde: for God resisteth the proude, and giueth grace to the humble.
6 Humble your selues therefore vnder the mightie hand of God, that he may exalt
you in due time.
7 Cast all your care on him: for he careth for you.
8 Be sober, and watch: for your aduersarie the deuil as a roaring
lyon
walketh about, seeking whom he may deuoure:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are
accomplished in your brethren which are in the world.
10 And the God of all grace, which hath called vs vnto his eternall glory by
Christ Iesus, after that ye haue suffered a litle, make you perfite, confirme,
strengthen and stablish you.
11 To him be glory and dominion for euer and euer, Amen.
12 By Syluanus a faithfull brother vnto you, as I suppose, haue I written
briefly, exhorting and testifying how that this is the true grace of God,
wherein ye stand.
13 The Church that is at
Babylon
elected together with you, saluteth you, and Marcus my sonne.
14 Greete ye one another with the kisse of loue. Peace be with you all which are
in Christ Iesus, Amen.
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