Whoever speaks, let it be with<n id="1" /> God&#8217;s words.<n id="2" /> Whoever serves, do so with the strength<n id="3" /> that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong<n id="4" /> the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.p>

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling<n id="1" /> with Jesus Christ&#8217;s blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure!<n id="2" />p>

you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer<n id="1" /> spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

For what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it? But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God.<n id="1" />

but the inner person<n id="1" /> of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God&#8217;s sight.

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">Because Christ also suffered<n id="2" /> once for sins,p> <p class="poetry"><i>the just for the unjusti>,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">to bring you to God,p> <p class="poetry">by being put to death in the fleshp> <p class="poetry">but<n id="4" /> by being made alive in the spirit.<n id="5" />p>

And this prefigured baptism, which now saves you<n id="1" /> &#8211; not the washing off of physical dirt<n id="2" /> but the pledge<n id="3" /> of a good conscience to God &#8211; through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory,<n id="1" /> who is <b><i>the Spirit of Godi>b>,<n id="2" /> <b><i>restsi>b><n id="3" /> on you.

<p class="bodytext">In the same way, you who are younger,<n id="1" /> be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God <i><b>opposes the proud but gives grace to the humbleb>.i><n id="2" />

And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ<n id="1" /> will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Blessed be<n id="1" /> the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

and maintain good conduct<n id="1" /> among the non-Christians,<n id="2" /> so that though<n id="3" /> they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">after they were disobedient long ago<n id="1" /> when God patiently waited<n id="2" /> in the days of Noah as an ark was being constructed. In the ark<n id="3" /> a few, that is eight souls, were delivered through water.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Through Silvanus,<n id="1" /> whom I know to be a faithful brother,<n id="2" /> I have written to you briefly, in order to encourage you and testify<n id="3" /> that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.<n id="4" />