¹⁷And if you ncall on him as Father who ojudges pimpartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves qwith fear throughout the time of your exile, ¹⁸knowing that you rwere ransomed from sthe futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, ¹⁹but twith the precious blood of Christ, like that of ua lamb vwithout blemish or spot. ²⁰He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but wwas made manifest xin the last times for the sake of you ²¹ywho through him are believers in God, zwho raised him from the dead and agave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

²²Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for ba sincere brotherly love, clove one another earnestly from a pure heart, ²³dsince you have been born again, enot of perishable seed but of imperishable, through fthe living and abiding word of God; ²⁴for

g“All flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

and the flower falls,

²⁵hbut the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word iis the good news that was preached to you.

Expand Chapter