1 Peter — The Coverdale Bible (1535)
1 Peter is the letter of hope to Christians suffering for their faith. In Coverdale’s Bible of 1535 it stands in the New Testament under the heading “The first Epistle of the Apostle S. Peter”. Coverdale’s summary of the chapters stands before the text; the 1535 Bible has no verse numbers, so the text keeps its own paragraphs, in 5 chapters, with the marginal notes and references printed after each chapter.
The summe of this Epistle.
- Chap. I. He sheweth that thorow the abundaunt mercy of God we are begotten agayne to a lyuely hope: and how faith must be tr⟨illegible⟩ed: how the saluacion in Christ is no newes, but a thinge prophecied of olde. He exhorteth them to a godly conuersacion, for so moch as they are now borne a new by the worde of God.
- Chap. II. He exhorteth men to laye asyde all vyce, sheweth that Christ is the foundacion wher vpon they be buylt, prayeth them to absteyne frō fleshly lustes, and to obeye worldly rulers. How seruauntes shulde behaue them selues towarde their masters. He exhorteth to suffre after the ensample of Christ.
- Chap. III. How wyues ought to ordre them selues towarde their huszbandes and in their apparell The dutye of mē towarde their wyues. He exorteth all men to vnite and loue, and paciently to suffre trouble. Of true baptyme.
- Chap. IIII. He exhorteth men to ceasse from synne, to spende no more tyme in vyce, to be sober and apte to prayer, to loue ech other, to be pacient in trouble, and to bewarre that no man suffre as an euell doer, but as a Cristen man, and not to be ashamed.
- Chap. V. A speciall exhortacion for all bisshoppes or prestes to fede the flocke of Christ, and what their dutie is, and what rewarde they shal haue yf they be diligēt. He exhorteth yonge personnes to submytt thē selues to the elder, euery one to loue another, to be sober, & to watch, that they maye resist the enemye.
The first Epistle of the Apostle S. Peter.
Chapter 1
PETER an Apostle of [A] Iesu Christ, to thē that dwell here and there as straungers thorow out Pontus, Galacia, Capadocia, Asia and Bithinia, electe acordinge to the foreknowlege of God the father thorow sanctifienge of the sprete, vnto obedience and ⁽¹⁾ sprenklynge of the bloude of Iesus Christ.
Grace and peace be multiplied with you.
⁽²⁾ Blessed be God and the father of oure LORDE Iesus Christ, which acordinge to his greate mercy hath begotten vs agayne vnto a lyuely hope ⁽³⁾ by the resurreccion of Iesus Christ from the deed, to an vncorruptible and vndefyled inheritaunce, which neuer shal fade awaye, but is reserued in heauen for you that are kepte by the power of God thorow faith to saluacion, which is prepared all ready to be shewed in the last tyme: in the which ye shal reioyse, though now for a litle season (yff nede requyre) ye are in heuynes thorow manyfolde temptacions:[B] that youre faith once tryed (beynge moch more precious then the corruptible golde that is tryed thorow the fyre) might be founde vnto laude, glory and honoure at the appearynge of Iesus Christ: whom ye haue not sene, and yet loue him: ⁽⁴⁾ in whom now ye beleue▪ though ye se him not. Euen so shal ye reioyce also with vnoutspeakable and glorious ioye, receauynge the ende of youre faith, euen the saluacion of your⟨illegible⟩ soules.
Of which saluacion the prophetes haue enquyred and searched, which prophecied off the grace that shulde come vpon you: searchinge whan or at what tyme the sprete off Christ that was in them, shulde signifye, which (sprete) testified before th⟨illegible⟩ passions that shulde come vnto Christ, and the glory that shulde folowe after. Vnto the which (prophetes) it was declared, that not vnto them selues, but vnto vs they shulde mynister the thinges which are now shewed vnto you, by them which thorow holy goost sent downe from heauen, haue preached vnto you the thinges ⁽⁵⁾ which ⟨illegible⟩ angels delyte to beholde.
Wherfore gyrde op the ⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ youre mynde, be sober, and trust perfectly on the grace that is brought vnto you, by the declarynge of Iesus Christ, as obedient childrē, not faszhionynge youre selues to yoʳ olde lustes of ignoraunce: but as he which hath called you is holy, euē so be ye holy also in all youre conuersacion: for it it wryttē: ⁽⁷⁾ Be ye holy, for I am holy.
And yf so be that ye call on the father, which without respecte of personnes iudgeth ⁽⁸⁾ acordynge to euery mans worke, se yᵗ ye passe yᵉ tyme of youre pilgremage in feare:⁽⁹⁾ and knowe, that ye were not redemed wᵗ corruptible syluer and golde, from youre vayne conuersacion (which ye receaued by the tradiciōs of the fathers) ⁽¹⁰⁾ but with the precious bloude of Christ, as of an innocēt and vndefyled lambe, which was ordeyned before [D] the worlde was made, but is declared in these last tymes⁽¹¹⁾ for youre sakes, which thorow him beleue on God, that raysed him vp from the deed, ⁽¹²⁾ and hath geuē him the glory, that ye might haue faith & hope in God: Euen ye which haue purifyed youre soules ⁽¹³⁾ in obeyenge the trueth thorow the sprete, for to loue brotherly without faynynge, & feruently one to loue another wᵗ a pure hert, as they that are borne a new, not of corruptible sede, but of vncorruptible, euē by the lyuynge worde of God, which endureth for euer.⁽¹⁴⁾ For all flesh is as grasse, and all the glory of man is as the floure of grasse. The grasse withereth, & the floure falleth awaye but the worde of the LORDE endureth for euer. This is the worde, that is preached amonge you.
Notes to Chapter 1
⁽¹⁾ Heb. 9. b and 10. c
⁽²⁾ 2. Cor. 1. a Ephe. 1. a
⁽³⁾ 1. Co. 15. c
⁽⁴⁾ Ioh. ⟨illegible⟩0. ⟨illegible⟩
⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽⁷⁾ Leuit 11. g and 19 a
⁽⁸⁾ Mat. 25. c
⁽⁹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. Cor. 6. c and 7. c
⁽¹⁰⁾ Heb. 9. b 1 Ioh. 1. b Apo. 1. a
⁽¹¹⁾ Esa. 9 b Luc. 2. b
⁽¹²⁾ Phil. 2. a
⁽¹³⁾ Act. 15. b
⁽¹⁴⁾ Esa. 40. a Eccli. 14. b ⟨illegible⟩aco. 1. b
Chapter 2
[A] WHerfore laye asyde all maliciousnes and all gyle, and ypocrisye, and envye, and all bacbytinge, & ⁽¹⁾ as new borne babes desyre that reasonable mylke, which is without corrupcion, that ye maye growe therin, yf so be that ye haue ⁽²⁾ taisted how frendly the LORDE is. Vnto whom ye are come, ⁽³⁾ as to the lyuynge stone, which is disalowed of men, but chosen of God and precious. And ye also as lyuynge stones are made a spirituall house, and an holy presthode, to offre vp ⁽⁴⁾ spirituall sacrifices, acceptable vnto God by Iesus Christ. Wherfore it is conteyned in the scripture: ⁽⁵⁾ Beholde, I put in Sion an heade corner stone, electe & precious, and he that beleueth on him, shal not be cōfounded. Vnto you therfore which beleue he is precious: but vnto them that beleue not is yᵉ same stone which the ⁽⁶⁾ buylders refused made the heade stone in the ⟨illegible⟩ one to stomble at,⁽⁷⁾ and a rock to be offended at, namely in thē which stomble at yᵉ worde, and beleue not that wheron they were set.
⁽⁸⁾ But ye are that chosen generacion, that [B] kyngly presthode, that holy nacion, that peculier people, yᵗ ye shulde shewe the vertues of him, which hath called you out of darknesse in to his maruelous lighte: ⁽⁹⁾ Euen you which in tyme past were not a people, but now are the people of God: which were not vnder mercy, but now haue optayned mercy.
Dearly beloued, I beseke you as straungers and pilgrems, ⁽¹⁰⁾ absteyne frō the fleshly lustes, which fighte agaynst the soule, and lede an honest conuersacion amonge the Heythen, ⁽¹¹⁾ that they which bacbyte you as euell doers, maye se youre good workes, and prayse God in the daye of visitacion.
Submytte youre selues vnto all maner ordinaunce of men for the LORDES sake:⁽¹²⁾ whether it be vnto the kynge as vnto yᵉ chefe heade, or vnto rulers, as vnto them that are sent of him, for the punyshment of euell doers, but for the prayse of thē that do well. For so is the will of God, that ye with well doynge shulde put to sylence the ignoraunce of folishmen: as fre, and not as hauynge the libertye for a cloke of wickednes, but euē as the seruauntes of God. Honoure all men. Loue brotherly fellishippe. Feare God. ⁽¹³⁾ Honoure the kynge.
⁽¹⁴⁾Ye seruaūtes, obey youre masters with all feare: not onely yf they be good and curteous, but also though they be frowarde. For that is grace, yf a man for conscience towarde God endure grefe, and suffre wronge. For what prayse is it, yf whā ye be buffeted for yoʳ fautes, ye take it paciently? ⁽¹⁵⁾ But yf whan ye do well, ye suffre wronge, and take it paciently, that is grace with God. For herevnto are ye called, for so moch as Christ also suffred for vs, leauynge vs an ⁽¹⁶⁾ensample, that ye shulde folowe his fotesteppes, which dyd no synne, nether was there gyle founde in his mouth:⁽¹⁷⁾ which whan he was reuyled, reuyled not agayne: whā he suffred, he threatened not: but commyted the cause vnto him, that iudgeth righteously:⁽¹⁸⁾ which his owne selfe bare oure synnes in his body vpon the tre, that we shulde be delyuered from synne, & shulde lyue vnto righteousnes: by whose strypes ye were healed. ⁽¹⁹⁾ For ye were as shepe goinge astraye, but now are ye turned vnto the shepherde and Biszhoppe of youre soules.
Notes to Chapter 2
⁽¹⁾ Ephe. 4. a Col. 3. a Heb. 12. a
⁽²⁾ Psal. 33 a
⁽³⁾ Ephe. 2. c
⁽⁴⁾ Rom. 12. a
⁽⁵⁾ Esa. 28. c Mat. 21. e Act. 4. a
⁽⁶⁾ Psal ⟨illegible⟩
⁽⁷⁾ Esa. 8. c
⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
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Chapter 3
[A] LIkewyse ⁽¹⁾ let the wyues be in subieccion to their huszbandes, that euen they which beleue not the worde, maye without the worde be wonne by yᵉ cōuersacion of the wyues, whan they beholde yo pure conuersacion in feare. Whose apparell ⁽²⁾ shal not be outwarde wᵗ broyded heer, & hanginge on of golde, or in puttynge on of gorgious araye, but let yᵉ inwarde mā of yᵉ hert be vncorrupte wᵗ a meke & a quyete sprete, which before God is moch set by. For after this maner in the olde tyme, dyd yᵉ holy wemē which trusted in God, tyer thēselues, & were obedient vnto their huszbādes: Euen as Sara obeyed Abraham,⁽³⁾ and called him lorde: whose doughters ye are, as lōge as ye do well, not beynge afrayed for eny trouble.
Likewyse ye men, dwell with them acordinge vnto knowlege, geuynge ⁽⁴⁾ hono vnto the wife, as to the weaker vessel: & as vnto thē yᵗ are heyres with you of the grace of life, that youre prayers be not let.
[B] But in conclusion be ye all of one mynde, one suffre with another, loue as brethren, be pitefull, be curteous. ⁽⁵⁾ Recōpence not euell for euell, nether rebuke for rebuke: but cōtrary wyse, blesse: and knowe that ye are called therto, euen yᵗ ye shulde be heyres of yᵉ ⁽⁶⁾blessynge. For ⁽⁷⁾ who so listeth to lyue, and wolde fayne se good dayes, Let him refrayne his tonge from euell, and his lippes yᵗ they speake no gyle. Let him eschue euell, & do good: Let him seke peace and ensue it. For yᵉ eyes of the LORDE are ouer the righteous, & his eares are open vnto their prayers. But yᵉ face of the LORDE beholdeth thē yᵗ do euell. And who is it that can harme you, yf ye folowe that which is good? Not withstōdinge ⁽⁸⁾ blessed are ye, yf ye suffre for righteousnes sake ⁽⁹⁾ Feare not ye their threatnynge, nether be troubled, but sanctifye the LORDE God in youre hertes. ⁽¹⁰⁾ Be ready allwayes to geue an answere to euery mā, that axeth you a reason of the hope that is in you, and that with mekenes & feare, hauynge a good conscience, ⁽¹¹⁾ that they which bacbyte you as euell doers, maye be ashamed, that they haue falsely accused youre good cōuersacion in Christ.
[C] ⁽¹²⁾ For it is better (yf the wyll of God be so) that ye suffre for well doynge, thē for euell doynge. For as moch as Christ hath once suffred for oure synnes, yᵉ iust for the vniust, for to brynge vs to God: & was slayne after the flesh, but quyckened after the sprete.
In the which sprete he also wente, and preached vnto yᵉ spretes that were in preson, which in tyme past beleued not, whan God once a bode and suffred paciētly in the tyme of Noe, whyle the Arke was a preparynge: ⁽¹³⁾ Wherin fewe (that is to saye eight soules) were saued by water. Which signifieth ⁽¹⁴⁾ baptyme yᵗ now saueth vs: not yᵉ puttinge awaye of the fylth of the flesh, but in yᵗ a good cōsciēce cōsenteth vnto God by yᵉ resurreccion of Iesus Christ, which is on the righte hande of God, and is gone in to heauē, angels, power and mighte subdued vnto him.
Notes to Chapter 3
⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
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⁽¹³⁾ Gen. 7. c
⁽¹⁴⁾ Rom. 6. a
Chapter 4
FOr as moch then as Christ hath suffred [A] for vs in yᵉ flesh, arme youre selues likewyse with the same mynde. ⁽¹⁾ For he which suffreth in the flesh, ceasseth frō synne, yᵗ hēce forth (as moch tyme as yet remayneth in yᵉ flesh) he shulde not lyue after the lustes of mē, but after the wil of God. For it is ynough, yᵗ we haue spent yᵉ tyme past of the life, after the will of yᵉ Heythen, whā we walked in wantannesse, lustes, dronkēnes, glotony, ryotous drynkynge, & ī abhominable Idolatrye. And it semeth to thē a straunge thinge, yᵗ ye runne not also wᵗ them vnto the same excesse of ryote, & speake euell of you. (Which shal geue acōptes vnto hī yᵗ is ready to iudge yᵉ quycke & yᵉ deed.) For vnto this purpose also was yᵉ Gospell preached vnto the deed, yᵗ they shulde be iudged like other mē ī yᵉ flesh, but shulde lyue vnto God in yᵉ sprete. The ende of all thīges is at hāde.
⁽²⁾Be ye therfore sober & watch vnto prayers:[B] but aboue all thinges haue feruent loue amonge you one to another. ⁽³⁾ For loue couereth the multitude of synnes. Be ye herberous one to another without grudginge, & mynister one to another, eueryone with the gifte yᵗ he hath receaued, as good stewardes of the manifolde grace of God. ⁽⁴⁾ Yf eny mā speake, let hī speake it as yᵉ wordes of God. ⁽⁵⁾ Yf eny man haue an office, let him execute it as out of the power yᵗ God mynistreth vnto hī, yᵗ God maye be praysed in all thinges thorow Iesus Christ, To whō be hono and domynion for euer and euer Amen.
Derely beloued, maruell not at this ⁽⁶⁾ heate (which is come amōge you to trye you) as though some straūge thinge happened vnto you: but reioyce, in as moch as ye are partakers [C] of Christes passiōs, yᵗ whā his glory appeareth, ye maye be mery & glad. ⁽⁷⁾ Yf ye be reuyled for yᵉ name of Christ, blessed are ⟨illegible⟩ yᵉ sprete (which is yᵉ sprete of glory & ⟨illegible⟩ resteth vpon you. On their parte he is euell spoken of, but on yo parte he is praysed
⁽⁸⁾But se that none of you suffre as a murthurer, or as a thefe, or as an euell doer, or as a busy body in other mens matters. Yf eny man suffre as a Christen man, let him not be ashamed, but let him prayse God on this behalfe.⁽⁹⁾ For yᵉ tyme is come, that iudgmēt must begynne at the house of God. Yf it first begynne at vs, what shal the ende be of thē which beleue not the Gospell of God? ⁽¹⁰⁾ And yf yᵉ righteous scacely be saued, where shal yᵉ vngodly & synner appeare? Wherfore let them that suffer acordynge to the will off God, commytte their soules vnto him with well doynge, as to the faithfull creator.
Notes to Chapter 4
⁽¹⁾ Rom. 9. a
⁽²⁾ Mat. 24. d
⁽³⁾ Pro. 10. b
⁽⁴⁾ Iere. 23. b
⁽⁵⁾ Ro. 12. b
⁽⁶⁾ Luc. ⟨illegible⟩ 1. Cor. ⟨illegible⟩. b 1 Pet. 1. b
⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽⁹⁾ Iere. 25. d and 40. b Ezec. 8. b
⁽¹⁰⁾ Pro. 11. d
Chapter 5
[A] THe Elders which are amonge you I exhorte, which am also an Elder,⁽¹⁾ and a witnes off the affliccions in Christ, and partaker of the glory that shal be opened. ⁽²⁾ Fede Christes flocke which is amonge you, and take the ouerfighte of thē, not as though ye were cōpelled therto, but wyllingly: not for the desyre of filth ye lucre, but of a good mynde: not as though ye were lordes ouer the parishēs, ⁽³⁾ but that ye be an ensample to the flocke: & whan the chefe shepherde shal appeare, ye shal receaue the vncorruptible crowne of glory.
Likewyse ye yōger submytte youre selues vnto the elder. Submytte youre selues euery man one to another, and knyt yoʳ selues together in lowlynes of mynde. ⁽⁴⁾ For God resisteth the proude, but geueth grace to the humble. Submytte yo selues therfore vnder the mightie hande of God, that he maye exalte you whan the tyme is come. ⁽⁵⁾ Cast all youre care on him, for he careth for you.
[B] Be sober and watch,⁽⁶⁾ for yoʳ aduersary yᵉ deuell, walketh aboute as a roaringe lyon, sekynge whom he maye deuoure,⁽⁷⁾ whom resiste stedfast in the faith, and knowe, that youre brethren in the worlde haue euen the same affliccions.
But yᵉ God of all grace, which hath called you to his euerlastinge glory in Christ Iesu, shal his owne selfe make you perfecte, which suffre ⁽⁸⁾ a litle season: euē he shal settle, strength, and stablish you. To him be prayse and domynion for euer and euer, Amen.
By Siluanus youre faithfull brother (as I suppose) haue I wryttē vnto you breuely, exhortinge and testifyenge, how that this is the true grace of God wherin ye stōde. The companyons of youre eleccion that are at Babilon, salute you, and Marcus my sonne. Grete ye one another with the kysse of loue. Peace be with you all which are in Christ ⟨illegible⟩.
Notes to Chapter 5
⁽¹⁾ Act. 5. c
⁽²⁾ Act. 20. d
⁽³⁾ Tit. 2. a
⁽⁴⁾ Pro. 11. a Iaco. 4. a
⁽⁵⁾ Mat. 6. c Luc. 12. c
⁽⁶⁾ Iob. 1. b
⁽⁷⁾ Iaco. 4. a
⁽⁸⁾ Rom. 8. c ⟨illegible⟩. Pet. 1. a Heb. ⟨illegible⟩. d
Colophon
This page is an archival transcription of the printed text, not a Good Works Translation. Source: Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe (M.D.XXXV; STC 2063.3), translated by Myles Coverdale, the copy in Cambridge University Library, keyed and encoded by the Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP Phase I, text A10349, 2005) and released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 public-domain dedication.
22 places illegible in the Cambridge copy were filled from Samuel Bagster’s 1838 page-for-page reprint of the edition (archive.org, holyscriptures00cove), only where the reprint’s reading is certain; each fill is listed on this room’s Supplied Readings page; 46 places are still marked ⟨illegible⟩ (9 in the text, 37 in the marginal notes).
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