Monday, November 30

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

5who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,

7that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

8whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

9receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

10Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,

11searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

12To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.

13Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

14as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;

15but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

16because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'

17And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;

18knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,

19but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

20He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you

21who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

23having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

24because 'All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away,

25But the word of the LORD endures forever.' Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

1Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,

2as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

4Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,

5you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, 'Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.'

21For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

22'Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth';

23who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

24who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

25For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

1Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,

2when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.

3Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—

4rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

5For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands,

6as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

7Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

8Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;

9not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

1Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

2that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

3For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

4In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.

5They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

6For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

7But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.

8And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.'

9Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

10As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

11If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

18And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

19Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.'

20They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

21Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,

22and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

23And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

1Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers,

2older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.

3Honor widows who are really widows.

4But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God.

5Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.

6But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.

7And these things command, that they may be blameless.

8But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

9Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man,

10well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.

9For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.

10We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!

11To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless.

12And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;

13being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.

14I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you.

15For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

16Therefore I urge you, imitate me.

37Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen,

38saying: ''Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!'

39And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, 'Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.'

40But He answered and said to them, 'I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.'

41Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,

42saying, 'If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

43For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side,

44and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.'

35Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.

36And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!'

37The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

38Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, 'What do you seek?'

39They said to Him, 'Rabbi' (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), 'where are You staying?' He said to them, 'Come and see.' They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

40One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

41He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which is translated, the Christ).

42And he brought him to Jesus.

43Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, 'You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas' (which is translated, A Stone). The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, 'Follow Me.'

44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.'

46And Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?'

47Philip said to him, 'Come and see.' Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!'

48Nathanael said to Him, 'How do You know me?'

49Jesus answered and said to him, 'Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.' Nathanael answered and said to Him, 'Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!'

50Jesus answered and said to him, 'Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these.'

51And He said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.'