Friday, January 28

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.

1Then He began to speak to them in parables: 'A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.

2Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.

3And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

4Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.

5And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.

6Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

7But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'

8So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.

9'Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.

10Have you not even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.

11This was the Lord's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'? '

12And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.