1 Peter — The Tyndale New Testament (1534)

The epistle known today as 1 Peter in Tyndale's revised New Testament of 1534, translated from the Greek and opened, as in the print, by Tyndale's prologue to the epistle. It is printed here from the copy in the British Library as keyed by the Text Creation Partnership, in the spelling of 1534; the margin notes are given as footnotes, and the crosses ✚ and ⊢ mark where the lessons read in church begin and end.

¶ A Prologe to the fyrst epistle of Saynt Peter.

THis epistle dyd saynt Peter wryte to the Hethen that we reconuerted & exhorteth thē to stonde fast in the fayth / to grow therin and to wexe perfect / thorow all maner of sofferinge & also good workes.

In the fyrst he declareth the iustyfyenge of fayth thorow Christes bloude / & comforteth them with the hope of the lyfe to come / and sheweth that we haue not deserued it / but that the Prophetes prophisied it shuld be geuen vs / & as Christ which redemed vs oute of synne and all vnclennes is holye / so he exhorteth to leade an holye conuersacion: & because we be rychlye bought & made heyres of a ryche in herytaunce / to take hede that we lose it not agayne thorow oure awne necgligence.

In the seconde Chap. he sheweth that Christ is the foundacion & hed corner stone wherō all are bylr thorow fayth / whether it be Iewe or gētyle / & how that in Christ they are made Prestes / to offer them selues to god (as christ dyd him selfe) & to sle the lustes of the flesshe that fyght agaynst the soule. And fyrst he teacheth them in generall to obeye the worldlye rulars and then in speciall he teacheth the seruauntes to obey their masters be they good or bad / & to soffre wronge of them as Christ soffered wrōge for vs.

In the thyrde he teacheth the wyues to obeye their husbandes / ye though they be vnbeleuers and to apparell them selues godlye and as yt be commeth h⟨illegible⟩ lynes. And therto that the husbandes soffre and beare the infirmite of their wyues and lyue accordinge to knowledge with them. And then in generall he exhorteth them to be softe / courteous / pacient and frendlye one to another / and to soffre for ryghteousnes after the ensample of Christ.

In the fourthe he exhorteth to fle synne & to tame the flesshe with sobrenes watchinge and prayer / and to loue eche other / and to knowe that all good gyftes are of God and euery mā to helpe his neyboure with soche as he hath receaued of god / & fynallie not to wonder / but to reioyce though they must soffre for christes names sake seinge as they be here partakers of his afflicciōs / so shall they be partakers of his glorye to come.

In the fyueth he teacheth the bysshopes and prestes how they shuld lyue and fede Christes flocke: and warneth vs of the deuell which on euery syde lyeth in wayte for vs.

The text

Chapter 1

¶ The fyrst Chapter.

1 PEter an Apostle [A] of Iesu Christ / to them that dwell here¹ and there as straungers thorow out Pontus / Galacia / Capadocia / Asia / & Bethinia /

2 electe by y⟨illegible⟩ for knowledge of God y[ᵉ] father / thorow the sanctifyinge of the sprete / vnto obedience and sprinklinge of the bloud of Iesus Christ. Grace be with you and peace be multiplyed.

3 Blessed be God y[ᵉ] father of oure Lorde Iesus Christ / which thorow is aboundant mercie begat vs agayne vnto a lively hope / by the resurreccion of Iesus Christ frō deeth /

4 to enioye an inheritaunce immortall & vndefiled / & that purifieth not / reserved in heven for you /

5 which are kept by the power of God thorow fayth / vnto salvacion / which salvacion is prepared [B] allredy to be shewed in the last tyme /

6 in the which tyme ye shall reioyce / though now for a season (if nede requyre) ye are in he vines / thorowe manifolde temptacions /

7 that youre fayth once tried / beinge moche more precious then golde y[ᵗ] perissheth (though it be tried with fyre) myght be founde vnto lawde / glory / and honoure at the apperinge of Iesus Christ:

8 whō ye have not sene & yet love him / in whom even now / though ye se him not / ye yet beleue / and reioyce with ioye vnspeakable and glorious:

9 receavynge the ende of youre fayth / the salvacion of youre soules.

10 Of which salvacion have the Prophete enquyred & searched / which prophisied of yᵉ grace that shuld come vnto you /

11 searchinge whē or at what tyme the sprete of Christ which was in them shuld signifie / which sprete testified before / the passions that shuld come vnto Christ / & the glory that shuld folowe after:

12 vnto which Prophetes it was declared / that not vnto them selves / but vnto vs / they shuld minister the thinges which are now shewed vnto you of them which by y[ᵉ] holy goost sent doune frō heven / have preached vnto you the thinges which the angels desyre to beholde.

13 [C] Wherfore gyrde vp yᵉ loynes of youre myndes / be² sober / & trust perfectly on the grace yᵗ is brought vnto you / by the declaringe of Iesus³ Christ /

14 as obediēt chyldrē / not facioninge youre selves vnto youre olde lustes of ignorācye:

15 but as he which called you is holy / evē so be ye holy in all maner of conuersacion /

16 because it is written. Be ye holy / for I am holy.

17 And yf so be y[ᵗ] ye call on the father which with out respecte of person iudgeth accordinge to every mānes⁴ worke / se yᵗ ye passe the tyme of youre pilgremage in feare.

18 ✚ For as moche as ye know how that ye were not redemed with corruptible sylver and golde from youre vayne conversacion which ye receaved [D] by the tradicions of the fathers:

19 but with the precious bloud of Christ / as of a lambe vndefiled / and withouten spot /

20 which was ordeyned before the worlde was made: but was declared in the last tymes for youre sakes /

21 which by his meanes have beleved on god⁵ that raysed him from deth / and glorified him /⁶ that youre fayth and hope myght be in god.

22 And for as moche as ye have purified youre soules thorowe the sprete / in obeyinge the trueth for to love brotherly withouten fayuynge / se that ye love one another with a pure hert fervently:

23 for ye are borne a newe / not of mortall seed / but of immortall / by the worde of god which liveth / & lasteth for ever.

24 For all flesshe is as grasse / and all the glory of man⁷ is as the floure of grasse. The grasse widdereth / and the flower falleth awaye /

25 but the worde of the lorde endureth ever. ✚ And this is the worde which by the gospell was preached amonge you.

Notes to Chapter 1

Chapter 2

¶ The .ii. Chapter.

1 VVherfore laye asyde all maliciousnes and all gyle / and dissimulacion / and [A] envie / and all back bytynge:

2 and as newe borne babes / desyre that reasonable mylke which is with out corrupcion / that ye maye growe therin.

3 If so be that ye have tasted how plesaunt the lorde is /

4 to whom ye come as vnto a livynge stone disalowed of men / but chosen of god and precious:

5 and ye as lyvynge stones / are made a spretuall⁸ housse / and an holy presthode / for to offer vp spretuall sacryfice / acceptable to god by Iesus Christ.

6 Wherfore it is contayned in the scripture: [B] beholde / I put in Sion an heed corner stone / electe and precious: and he that beleveth on⁹ him shall not be a shamed.

7 Vnto you therfore which beleve / he is precious: but vnto them which beleve not / y[ᵉ] stone which yᵉ bylders refused yᵉ same is made yᵉ heed stone in the corner /

8 & a stone to stomble at / & a rocke to offende¹⁰ them which stomble at the worde / and beleve not that where on they were set.

9 But ye are a chosyn generacion / a royall presihod / an holy naciō / and a peculiar people / that ye shuld shewe the vertues of him that called you out of darknes into hys marvelous light

10 which¹¹ in tyme past were not a people / yet are now the people of God: which were not vnder mercye but now have obteyned mercye. ⊢

11 ✚ Derly beloved / I beseche you as straūgers [C]¹² and pilgrems / abstayne from flesshly lustes which fyght agaynst the soule /

12 and se that ye have honest conversacion amonge the gētyls that they which backbyte you as evyll doars¹³ maye se youre good workes and prayse god in the daye of visitacion.

13 Submit youre selves vnto all manner ordinannce of man for the lordes sake / whether it¹⁴ be vnto the kynge as vnto the chefe heed:

14 other vnto rulars / as vnto them that are sent of him / for the punysshment of evyll doars: but for the laude of them that do well.

15 For so is the will of god / that ye put to sylence the ygnorancie of the folyshe men:

16 as fre / and not as havinge yᵉ libertie for a cloke of maliciousnes but even as the servaūtes of god.

17 Honoure all men. Love brotherly felishippe. Feare¹⁵ god and honour the kynge.

18 Servauntes obey youre masters with all¹⁶ feare / not only yf they be good & courteous: but also though they be frowarde.

19 For it is thankeworthye yf a man for conscience towarde god endure grefe / sufferinge wrongfully.

20 For what prayse is it / if when ye be buffeted for youre fautes / ye take it paciently? But and yf when ye do well / ye suffer wronge and take it paciently / then is there thanke with God.

21 For herevnto verely were ye¹⁷ called: for ✚ Christ also suffered for vs levinge vs an in sample yᵗ ye shuld folowe his steppes /

22 which dyd no sinne / nether was ther gyle founde in his mouth:

23 which when he was reviled / reviled not agayne: whē he suffered / he threatened¹⁸ not: but comitted the cause to him that iudgeth ryghteously /

24 which his awne silfe bare oure synnes in his body on the tree / that we shuld be delyvered from synne and shuld lyve in rightewesnes. By whose strypes ye were healed.

25 For ye were as shepe goinge astraye: but are now returned vnto yᵉ shepheerd¹⁹ and bisshoppe of youre soules. ⊢

Notes to Chapter 2

Chapter 3

The .iii. Chapter.

1 LYkewyse let the wyves be in subiecciō [A]²⁰ to their husbādes / that evē they which beleve not the worde / maye with out the worde be wonne by the conversacion of yᵉ wyves:

2 whill they beholde youre pure cōversacion coupled with feare.

3 Whose apparell shall not be outwarde with broyded heare / & hanginge on of golde / other in puttinge on of gorgious aparell:

4 but let the hyd man of the²¹ herte be incorrupt / with a meke & aquyet sprere / which sprete is before God a thinge moche set by.

5 For after this maner in the olde tyme dyd the holy wemen which trusted in God / tyer thē selves / & were obediēt to their husbādes /

6 evē as Sara obeyed Abrahā & called him²² Lorde: whose doughters ye are as longe as ye do well / and be not afrayde of every shadowe.

7 Lyke wyse ye men dwell with them accordinge [B] to knowledge / gevinge honoure vnto²³ the wyfe / as vnto the weaker vessell / & as vnto them that are heyres also of the grace of lyfe / that youre prayers be not let.²⁴

8 ✚ In cōclusion / be ye all of one mynde / one suffre with another / love as brethren / be petifull / be courteous /

9 not rēdringe evyll for evyll /²⁵ nether rebuke for rebuke: but contrary wyse / blesse / remembringe yᵗ ye are thervnto called / even y[ᵗ] ye shuld be heyres of blessinge.

10 If eny mā longe after life / & loveth to se good dayes / let him refrayne his tonge frō evyll / & his lippes that they speake not gyle.

11 Let him eschue euyll & do good: let him seke peace / & ensue it.

12 For y[ᵉ] eyes of yᵉ Lorde are over yᵉ righteous / & his eares are open vnto their prayers. But y[ᵉ] face of the Lorde beholdeth thē that do evyll.

13 Moreover who is it that will harme you [C] yf ye folowe yᵗ which is good?

14 Not withstondynge happy are ye yf ye suffre for rightewesness is sake. Ye and feare not though they seme terrible vnto you / nether be troubled:

15 but sanctifie the Lorde God in youre hertes. Be²⁶ redy all wayes to geve an answere to every man that axeth you a reson of the hope that is in you / & that with meaknes and feare:

16 havinge a good consciēce / that when they backbyte you as eyll doars / they maye be ashamed / for as moche as they have fal[s]ely accused youre good conversacion in Christ.

17 It is better (yf the wyll of God be so) that ye suffre for well doynge / then for evyll doynge.²⁷

18 ✚ For as moche as Christ hath once suffered for synnes / yᵉ iuste for yᵉ vniuste / for to bringe vs to God / & was kylled / as pertayninge to the flesshe: but was quyckened in the sprete.

19 In which sprete / he also wēt & preached vnto [D] the spretes that were in preson /

20 which were in tyme passed disobedient / when the longe sufferinge of God abode excedinge paciently in the dayes of Noe / whyll the arcke was a²⁸ preparinge / wherin frawe (that is to saye. viii soules) were saved by water /

21 which signifieth baptim that [n]ow saveth vs / not yᵉ puttin ge awaye of yᵉ filth of the flesshe / but in that a good conscience consenteth to God / by yᵉ resurrecciō of Iesus Christ

22 which is oure right honde of God ✚ & is gone into hevē / angels / power and myght subdued vnto him.

Notes to Chapter 3

Chapter 4

¶ The .iiii. Chapter.

1 FOr as moche as christ hath suffred for²⁹ vs in the flesshe / arme youre selves lyke [A] wyse with the same mynde: for he which suffereth in the flesshe ceasith frō synne /

2 that he hence forwarde shuld lyve as moche tyme as remayneth in the flesshe: not after yᵉ lustes of men / but after the will of God.

3 For it is sufficient for vs that we have spent the tyme that is past of the lyfe / after the will of the gentyls / walkinge in wantannes / lustes / dronkennes / in eatinge / drinkinge and in abominable ydolatrie.

4 And it semeth to them a straunge thinge [B]³⁰ that ye runne not also with them vnto the same excesse of ryote / & therfore speake they evill of you /

5 which shall geve a cōptes to him that is redy to iudge quycke & deed.

6 For vnto this purpose verely was yᵉ gospell preached vnto the (deed) that they shuld be condempned of men in yᵉ flesshe / but shuld live before God in the sprete.

7 The ende of all thingꝭ is at honde. ✚ Be ye therfore discrete & sober / y[ᵗ] ye maye be apte to prayers.

8 But above all thinges have fervēt love amōge you. For love³¹ covereth the multitude of synnes.

9 Be yeherberous one to another & that wᵗ out grudginge.

10 As every man hath receaved the gyfte / minister the same one to another as good ministers of the manyfolde grace of God.

11 Yf eny man speake / [C] let him talke as though he spake yᵉ wordes of God. If eny man minister / let him do it as of yᵉ abilitie which god ministreth vnto him. That god in all thingꝭ maye be glorified thorow Iesus Christ ✚ / to whom be prayse and dominion for ever and whyll the worlde stondeth. Amen.

12 Dearly beloved / be not troubled in this heate / which now is come amōge you to trye you as though some straūge thinge had happened³² vnto you:

13 but reioyce in as moche as ye are partetakers of Christes passions / that when his glory appereth / ye maye be mery and glad.

14 [D] If ye be rayled vpon for the name of Christ happie are ye. For the sprete of glory and the sprete of god resteth apon you. On their parte he is evyll spoken of: but on youre parte he is glorified.

15 Se that none of you suffre as a murtherer / or as a thefe / or an evyll doar / or as a busy body in other mens matters.

16 Yf eny man suffre as a Christē man / let him not be ashamed: but let him glorifie god on his behalfe.

17 For the tyme is come that iudgement must begynne at the housse of god.³³ Yf it fyrst begynne at vs / what shall the ende be of them which beleve not the gospell of god?

18 And yf the righteous scasly be saved: where shall the vngodly & the sinner appere?

19 Wherfore let them that suffer accordynge to the will of god / commit their soules to him with well doynge / as vnto a faythfull creator

Notes to Chapter 4

Chapter 5

¶ The .v. Chapter.

1 THe elders which are amonge you / I exhorte / which am also an elder and a witnes [A] of the affliccions of Christ / and also a partaker of the glory that shalbe opened:

2 se that ye fede Christes flocke which is amonge you / takynge the oversyght of them /

3 not as though ye were compelled therto / but willyngly: not for the desyre of filthy lucre / but of a good mynde. not as though ye were lordes over the³⁴ parisshes: but that ye be ā insample to the flocke.

4 And when the chef shepheerde shall appere / ye shall receave an incorruptible croune of glorye.

5 Lykwyse ye yonger submit youre selves vnto the elder. Submit youre selves every man / one to another / knet youre selves togedder in lowlines of mynde. For god resisteth y[ᵉ] proude & geveth grace to the humble.

6 ✚ Submit [B] youre selves therfore vnder the myghty honde of god / that he maye exalt you / whē the tyme is come.

7 Cast all youre care to him: for he careth for you.

8 Be sober and watch / for youre adversary yᵉ³⁵ devyll as arorynge lion walketh about / sekynge whom he maye devoure:

9 whom resist stedfust in the fayth / remēbrynge that ye do but fulfill the same afflicciōs which are³⁶ apoynted to youre brethren that are in the worlde.

10 The God of all grace / which called you vnto his eternall glory by Christ Iesus / shall his awne silfe after ye have soffred a lytell afflicciō make you perfect: shall settle strenght & stablishe you.

11 To him be glory & dominiō for ever / and whill the worlde endureth Amen. ⊢

12 By Silvanus a faythfull brother vnto you [C] (as I suppose) have I written brefly / exhortynge and testifyinge how that this is the true grace of god / wherin ye stonde.

13 The companious of youre eleccion y[ᵗ] are at Babilō / saluteh³⁷ you / and Marcus my sonne.

14 Grete ye one another with the kysse of love. Peace be with you all which are in Christ Iesus. Amen.

Notes to Chapter 5

Colophon

Transcribed from The newe Testament dylygently corrected and compared with the Greke by Willyam Tindale (Antwerp: Marten Emperowr, November 1534; STC 2826), British Library copy, as keyed by the Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP Phase I, text A68940): keyed by Apex CoVantage from the ProQuest page images in 2005, then sampled and proofread by Judith Siefring. The TCP transcription was released into the public domain under CC0 1.0. The printed text is in the public domain.

Spelling, capitals, punctuation (including the virgule /), abbreviation marks (the macron, as in thē, and ꝭ) and the signs ¶ ✚ ⊢ ❧ are kept as printed. The only changes are these: long s (ſ) is set as s; superscript letters are set as ᵉ ᵗ ᵒ (yᵉ = the, yᵗ = that); ▪ marks a stop the transcribers could not identify; a word divided at the end of a line, with or without a printed hyphen, is joined into one word; a letter supplied from another text, as explained below, is set in square brackets; page breaks and catchwords are removed. Woodcuts and decorated initials are not reproduced, but woodcut captions are given. The margin notes are given as numbered footnotes. Printed headings are kept, including their misprints, as italic lines under the library's chapter headings. The letters [A] to [G] are the section letters printed in the margin, by which the 1534 margin references (for example "Esaie vij. c.") and the table of lessons find a passage.

The 1534 print has no verse numbers. They are supplied here from the eBible.org Tyndale New Testament (1534), a public-domain, verse-numbered electronic text of the same edition. A word-by-word alignment showed that about 97 per cent of the two texts' words are identical across the New Testament, and the remainder differ in spelling and abbreviation, with a few slips of keying in one text or the other. The paragraphs of the print give way to one paragraph per verse.

Words that the transcribers could not read are marked ⟨illegible⟩ (6 places on this page, 4 of them in the margin notes).

In the verse text of this book, 14 places that the transcribers could not read in the printed book have been supplied from the eBible.org Tyndale New Testament (1534), a later electronic transcription of Tyndale's New Testament whose transcriber is not named. Each supplied letter is set in square brackets, as in y[ᵉ] or fal[c]e, so that it can be told from a letter the transcribers read in the print. A place was supplied only where the verse alignment was exact on both sides, the eBible reading agreed letter for letter with every legible letter, and no macron could have stood in the gap. Where the small superscript letter after y was supplied, the eBible text is the only evidence for that letter.

This is an archival transcription of Tyndale's printed English, not a Good Works Translation: nothing here has been translated or modernised by the library.

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