You<n id="1" /> once were <b><i>not a peoplei>b>, but now you are God&#8217;s people. You were <b><i>shown no mercy,i>b><n id="2" /> but now you have received mercy.p>

<p class="bodytext">For<n id="1" /> who is going to harm you if you are devoted to what is good?

For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it,<n id="1" /> than for doing evil.p>

in that he spends the rest of his time<n id="1" /> on earth concerned about the will of God and not human desires.

And <i><b>if the righteous are barely savedb>, <b>what will become ofb>i><n id="1" /> <b><i>the ungodly and sinners?i>b><n id="2" />

Give a shepherd&#8217;s care to<n id="1" /> God&#8217;s flock among you, exercising oversight<n id="2" /> not merely as a duty<n id="3" /> but willingly under God&#8217;s direction,<n id="4" /> not for shameful profit but eagerly.

And do not lord it over<n id="1" /> those entrusted to you,<n id="2" /> but be examples to the flock.

And God will exalt you in due time,<n id="1" /> if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand<n id="2" />

The church<n id="1" /> in Babylon,<n id="2" /> chosen together with you,<n id="3" /> greets you, and so does Mark, my son.

They probed<n id="1" /> into what person or time<n id="2" /> the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified beforehand about the sufferings appointed for Christ<n id="3" /> and his subsequent glory.<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">Therefore, get your minds ready for action<n id="1" /> by being fully sober, and set your hope<n id="2" /> completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.<n id="3" />

Through him you now trust<n id="1" /> in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.p>

So you who believe see<n id="1" /> his value,<n id="2" /> but for those who do not believe, <b><i>the stone that the builders rejected has become thei>b><n id="3" /> <i><b>cornerstoneb>,i><n id="4" />

Forp> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>the one who wants to love life and see good days must keepi>b><n id="1" /> <i><b>his tongue from evil and his lips from uttering deceitb>.i>p>

For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non-Christians<n id="1" /> desire.<n id="2" /> You lived then<n id="3" /> in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking bouts,<n id="4" /> and wanton idolatries.<n id="5" />

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,

if <b><i>you have experiencedi>b><n id="1" /> <i><b>the Lord&#8217;s kindnessb>.i><n id="2" />p>

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>

when they see your pure and reverent conduct.<n id="1" />