Good News Translation (GNT)

1 From Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ—

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have been given a faith as precious as ours:

2 May grace and peace be yours in full measure through your knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

God’s Call and Choice

3 God’s divine power has given us everything we need to live a truly religious life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his ownglory and goodness.

4 In this way he has given us the very great and precious gifts he promised, so that by means of these gifts you may escape from the destructive lust that is in the world, and may come to share the divine nature.

5 For this very reason do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge;

6 to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add endurance; to your endurance add godliness;

7 to your godliness add Christian affection; and to your Christian affection add love.

8 These are the qualities you need, and if you have them in abundance, they will make you active and effective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But if you do not have them, you are so shortsighted that you cannot see and have forgotten that you have been purified from your past sins.

10 So then, my friends, try even harder to make God’s call and his choice of you a permanent experience; if you do so, you will never abandon your faith.

11 In this way you will be given the full right to enter the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

12 And so I will always remind you of these matters, even though you already know them and are firmly grounded in the truth you have received.

13 I think it only right for me to stir up your memory of these matters as long as I am still alive.

14 I know that I shall soon put off this mortal body, as our Lord Jesus Christ plainly told me.

15 I will do my best, then, to provide a way for you to remember these matters at all times after my death.

Eyewitnesses of Christ’s Glory

16 We have not depended on made-up stories in making known to you the mighty coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. With our own eyes we saw his greatness.

17 We were there when he was given honor and glory by God the Father, when the voice came to him from the Supreme Glory, saying, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased!”

18 We ourselves heard this voice coming from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.

19 So we are even more confident of the message proclaimed by the prophets. You will do well to pay attention to it, because it is like a lamp shining in a dark place until the Day dawns and the light of the morning star shines in your hearts.

20 Above all else, however, remember that none of us can explain by ourselves a prophecy in the Scriptures.

21 For no prophetic message ever came just from the human will, but people were under the control of the Holy Spirit as they spoke the message that came from God.

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/2PE/1-237fafa510cb9b7fe835ec4ccc4b7a5b.mp3?version_id=68—

False Teachers

1 False prophets appeared in the past among the people, and in the same way false teachers will appear among you. They will bring in destructive, untrue doctrines, and will deny the Master who redeemed them, and so they will bring upon themselves sudden destruction.

2 Even so, many will follow their immoral ways; and because of what they do, others will speak evil of the Way of truth.

3 In their greed these false teachers will make a profit out of telling you made-up stories. For a long time now their Judge has been ready, and their Destroyer has been wide awake!

4 God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell, where they are kept chained in darkness,waiting for the Day of Judgment.

5 God did not spare the ancient world, but brought the flood on the world of godless people; the only ones he saved were Noah, who preached righteousness, and seven other people.

6 God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying them with fire, and made them an example of what will happen to the godless.

7 He rescued Lot, a good man, who was distressed by the immoral conduct of lawless people.

8 That good man lived among them, and day after day he suffered agony as he saw and heard their evil actions.

9 And so the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials and how to keep the wicked under punishment for the Day of Judgment,

10 especially those who follow their filthy bodily lusts and despise God’s authority.

These false teachers are bold and arrogant, and show no respect for the glorious beings above; instead, they insult them.

11 Even the angels, who are so much stronger and mightier than these false teachers, do not accuse them with insults in the presence of the Lord.

12 But these people act by instinct, like wild animals born to be captured and killed; they attack with insults anything they do not understand. They will be destroyed like wild animals,

13 and they will be paid with suffering for the suffering they have caused. Pleasure for them is to do anything in broad daylight that will satisfy their bodily appetites; they are a shame and a disgrace as they join you in your meals, all the while enjoying their deceitful ways!

14 They want to look for nothing but the chance to commit adultery; their appetite for sin is never satisfied. They lead weak people into a trap. Their hearts are trained to be greedy. They are under God’s curse!

15 They have left the straight path and have lost their way; they have followed the path taken by Balaam son of Beor, who loved the money he would get for doing wrong

16 and was rebuked for his sin. His donkey spoke with a human voice and stopped the prophet’s insane action.

17 These people are like dried-up springs, like clouds blown along by a storm; God has reserved a place for them in the deepest darkness.

18 They make proud and stupid statements, and use immoral bodily lusts to trap those who are just beginning to escape from among people who live in error.

19 They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of destructive habits—for we are slaves of anything that has conquered us.

20 If people have escaped from the corrupting forces of the world through their knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and then are again caught and conquered by them, such people are in worse condition at the end than they were at the beginning.

21 It would have been much better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than to know it and then turn away from the sacred command that was given them.

22 What happened to them shows that the proverbs are true: “A dog goes back to what it has vomited” and “A pig that has been washed goes back to roll in the mud.”

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/2PE/2-d0075f4050c5dec1c4c88f52e4465d44.mp3?version_id=68—

The Promise of the Lord’s Coming

1 My dear friends, this is now the second letter I have written you. In both letters I have tried to arouse pure thoughts in your minds by reminding you of these things.

2 I want you to remember the words that were spoken long ago by the holy prophets, and the command from the Lord and Savior which was given you by your apostles.

3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days some people will appear whose lives are controlled by their own lusts. They will make fun of you

4 and will ask, “He promised to come, didn’t he? Where is he? Our ancestors have already died, but everything is still the same as it was since the creation of the world!”

5 They purposely ignore the fact that long ago God gave a command, and the heavens and earth were created. The earth was formed out of water and by water,

6 and it was also by water, the water of the flood, that the old world was destroyed.

7 But the heavens and the earth that now exist are being preserved by the same command of God, in order to be destroyed by fire. They are being kept for the day when godless people will be judged and destroyed.

8 But do not forget one thing, my dear friends! There is no difference in the Lord’s sight between one day and a thousand years; to him the two are the same.

9 The Lord is not slow to do what he has promised, as some think. Instead, he is patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.

10 But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that Day the heavens will disappear with a shrill noise, the heavenly bodies will burn up and be destroyed, and the earth with everything in it will vanish.

11 Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? Your lives should be holy and dedicated to God,

12 as you wait for the Day of God and do your best to make it come soon—the Day when the heavens will burn up and be destroyed, and the heavenly bodies will be melted by the heat.

13 But we wait for what God has promised: new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will be at home.

14 And so, my friends, as you wait for that Day, do your best to be pure and faultless in God’s sight and to be at peace with him.

15 Look on our Lord’s patience as the opportunity he is giving you to be saved, just as our dear friend Paul wrote to you, using the wisdom that God gave him.

16 This is what he says in all his letters when he writes on the subject. There are some difficult things in his letters which ignorant and unstable people explain falsely, as they do with other passages of the Scriptures. So they bring on their own destruction.

17 But you, my friends, already know this. Be on your guard, then, so that you will not be led away by the errors of lawless people and fall from your safe position.

18 But continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, now and forever! Amen.

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/2PE/3-9096b32608952129ef9bcf0ed3be50aa.mp3?version_id=68—

1 From Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ—

To God’s chosen people who live as refugees scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

2 You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood.

May grace and peace be yours in full measure.

A Living Hope

3 Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope,

4 and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away.

5 They are for you, who through faith are kept safe by God’s power for the salvation which is ready to be revealed at the end of time.

6 Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer.

7 Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested, so that it may endure. Then you will receive praise and glory and honor on the Day when Jesus Christ is revealed.

8 You love him, although you have not seen him, and you believe in him, although you do not now see him. So you rejoice with a great and glorious joy which words cannot express,

9 because you are receiving the salvation of your souls, which is the purpose of your faith in him.

10 It was concerning this salvation that the prophets made careful search and investigation, and they prophesied about this gift which God would give you.

11 They tried to find out when the time would be and how it would come.This was the time to which Christ’s Spirit in them was pointing, in predicting the sufferings that Christ would have to endure and the glory that would follow.

12 God revealed to these prophets that their work was not for their own benefit, but for yours, as they spoke about those things which you have now heard from the messengers who announced the Good News by the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. These are things which even the angels would like to understand.

A Call to Holy Living

13 So then, have your minds ready for action. Keep alert and set your hope completely on the blessing which will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

14 Be obedient to God, and do not allow your lives to be shaped by those desires you had when you were still ignorant.

15 Instead, be holy in all that you do, just as God who called you is holy.

16 The scripture says, “Be holy because I am holy.”

17 You call him Father, when you pray to God, who judges all people by the same standard, according to what each one has done; so then, spend the rest of your lives here on earth in reverence for him.

18 For you know what was paid to set you free from the worthless manner of life handed down by your ancestors. It was not something that can be destroyed, such as silver or gold;

19 it was the costly sacrifice of Christ, who was like a lamb without defect or flaw.

20 He had been chosen by God before the creation of the world and was revealed in these last days for your sake.

21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from death and gave him glory; and so your faith and hope are fixed on God.

22 Now that by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves and have come to have a sincere love for other believers, love one another earnestly with all your heart.

23 For through the living and eternal word of God you have been born again as the children of a parent who is immortal, not mortal.

24 As the scripture says,

“All human beings are like grass,

and all their glory is like wild flowers.

The grass withers, and the flowers fall,

25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

This word is the Good News that was proclaimed to you.

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/1PE/1-98b8fe047b0b9acbf6c98900d36e340e.mp3?version_id=68—

The Living Stone and the Holy Nation

1 Rid yourselves, then, of all evil; no more lying or hypocrisy or jealousy or insulting language.

2 Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow up and be saved.

3 As the scripture says, “You have found out for yourselves how kind the Lord is.”

4 Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable.

5 Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.

6 For the scripture says,

“I chose a valuable stone,

which I am placing as the cornerstone in Zion;

and whoever believes in him will never be disappointed.”

7 This stone is of great value for you that believe; but for those who do not believe:

“The stone which the builders rejected as worthless

turned out to be the most important of all.”

8 And another scripture says,

“This is the stone that will make people stumble,

the rock that will make them fall.”

They stumbled because they did not believe in the word; such was God’s will for them.

9 But you are the chosen race, the King’s priests, the holy nation, God’s own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light.

10 At one time you were not God’s people, but now you are his people; at one time you did not know God’s mercy, but now you have received his mercy.

Slaves of God

11 I appeal to you, my friends, as strangers and refugees in this world! Do not give in to bodily passions, which are always at war against the soul.

12 Your conduct among the heathen should be so good that when they accuse you of being evildoers, they will have to recognize your good deeds and so praise God on the Day of his coming.

13 For the sake of the Lord submit yourselves to every human authority: to the Emperor, who is the supreme authority,

14 and to the governors, who have been appointed by him to punish the evildoers and to praise those who do good.

15 For God wants you to silence the ignorant talk of foolish people by the good things you do.

16 Live as free people; do not, however, use your freedom to cover up any evil, but live as God’s slaves.

17 Respect everyone, love other believers, honor God, and respect the Emperor.

The Example of Christ’s Suffering

18 You servants must submit yourselves to your masters and show them complete respect, not only to those who are kind and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.

19 God will bless you for this, if you endure the pain of undeserved suffering because you are conscious of his will.

20 For what credit is there if you endure the beatings you deserve for having done wrong? But if you endure suffering even when you have done right, God will bless you for it.

21 It was to this that God called you, for Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps.

22 He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie come from his lips.

23 When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judge.

24 Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that you have been healed.

25 You were like sheep that had lost their way, but now you have been brought back to follow the Shepherd and Keeper of your souls.

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/1PE/2-f8de83bf769a0d30de6b79f5294fe1f1.mp3?version_id=68—

Wives and Husbands

1 In the same way you wives must submit yourselves to your husbands, so that if any of them do not believe God’s word, your conduct will win them over to believe. It will not be necessary for you to say a word,

2 because they will see how pure and reverent your conduct is.

3 You should not use outward aids to make yourselves beautiful, such as the way you fix your hair, or the jewelry you put on, or the dresses you wear.

4 Instead, your beauty should consist of your true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest value in God’s sight.

5 For the devout women of the past who placed their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful by submitting themselves to their husbands.

6 Sarah was like that; she obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are now her daughters if you do good and are not afraid of anything.

7 In the same way you husbands must live with your wives with the proper understanding that they are more delicate than you. Treat them with respect, because they also will receive, together with you, God’s gift of life. Do this so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.

Suffering for Doing Right

8 To conclude: you must all have the same attitude and the same feelings; love one another, and be kind and humble with one another.

9 Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you.

10 As the scripture says,

“If you want to enjoy life

and wish to see good times,

you must keep from speaking evil

and stop telling lies.

11 You must turn away from evil and do good;

you must strive for peace with all your heart.

12 For the Lord watches over the righteous

and listens to their prayers;

but he opposes those who do evil.”

13 Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good?

14 But even if you should suffer for doing what is right, how happy you are! Do not be afraid of anyone, and do not worry.

15 But have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honor him as Lord. Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you,

16 but do it with gentleness and respect. Keep your conscience clear, so that when you are insulted, those who speak evil of your good conduct as followers of Christ will become ashamed of what they say.

17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if this should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

18 For Christ diedfor sins once and for all, a good man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death physically, but made alive spiritually,

19 and in his spiritual existence he went and preached to the imprisoned spirits.

20 These were the spirits of those who had not obeyed God when he waited patiently during the days that Noah was building his boat. The few people in the boat—eight in all—were saved by the water,

21 which was a symbol pointing to baptism, which now saves you. It is not the washing off of bodily dirt, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. It saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

22 who has gone to heaven and is at the right side of God, ruling over all angels and heavenly authorities and powers.

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/1PE/3-fc1f4c3dc11d6f3b5855b203b1325d67.mp3?version_id=68—

Changed Lives

1 Since Christ suffered physically, you too must strengthen yourselves with the same way of thinking that he had; because whoever suffers physically is no longer involved with sin.

2 From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God’s will and not by human desires.

3 You have spent enough time in the past doing what the heathen like to do. Your lives were spent in indecency, lust, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and the disgusting worship of idols.

4 And now the heathen are surprised when you do not join them in the same wild and reckless living, and so they insult you.

5 But they will have to give an account of themselves to God, who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

6 That is why the Good News was preached also to the dead, to those who had been judged in their physical existence as everyone is judged; it was preached to them so that in their spiritual existence they may live as God lives.

Good Managers of God’s Gifts

7 The end of all things is near. You must be self-controlled and alert, to be able to pray.

8 Above everything, love one another earnestly, because love covers over many sins.

9 Open your homes to each other without complaining.

10 Each one, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God.

11 Those who preach must preach God’s messages; those who serve must serve with the strength that God gives them, so that in all things praise may be given to God through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

Suffering as a Christian

12 My dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful test you are suffering, as though something unusual were happening to you.

13 Rather be glad that you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may be full of joy when his glory is revealed.

14 Happy are you if you are insulted because you are Christ’s followers; this means that the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is resting on you.

15 If you suffer, it must not be because you are a murderer or a thief or a criminal or a meddler in other people’s affairs.

16 However, if you suffer because you are a Christian, don’t be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ’s name.

17 The time has come for judgment to begin, and God’s own people are the first to be judged. If it starts with us, how will it end with those who do not believe the Good News from God?

18 As the scripture says,

“It is difficult for good people to be saved;

what, then, will become of godless sinners?”

19 So then, those who suffer because it is God’s will for them, should by their good actions trust themselves completely to their Creator, who always keeps his promise.

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/1PE/4-b3b1072cd1ca720e333638958084a3c5.mp3?version_id=68—

The Flock of God

1 I, who am an elder myself, appeal to the church elders among you. I am a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and I will share in the glory that will be revealed. I appeal to you

2 to be shepherds of the flock that God gave you and to take care of it willingly, as God wants you to, and not unwillingly. Do your work, not for mere pay, but from a real desire to serve.

3 Do not try to rule over those who have been put in your care, but be examples to the flock.

4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the glorious crown which will never lose its brightness.

5 In the same way you younger people must submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you must put on the apron of humility, to serve one another; for the scripture says, “God resists the proud, but shows favor to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time.

7 Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.

8 Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

9 Be firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that other believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings.

10 But after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who calls you to share his eternal glory in union with Christ, will himself perfect you and give you firmness, strength, and a sure foundation.

11 To him be the power forever! Amen.

Final Greetings

12 I write you this brief letter with the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful Christian. I want to encourage you and give my testimony that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.

13 Your sister church in Babylon,also chosen by God, sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark.

14 Greet one another with the kiss of Christian love.

May peace be with all of you who belong to Christ.

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/1PE/5-2463cffb10fb85125159d83ea43ec5d4.mp3?version_id=68—