Friday, January 8

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.'

7Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,'

8and 'A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.' They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

9But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

10who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

12Therefore He said: 'A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.

13So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'

14But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'

15'And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

16Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'

17And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'

18And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'

19Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'

20'Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.

21For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'

22And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.

23Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'

24'And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'

25(But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')

26'For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

27But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.' '

28When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.