ペテロの手紙第一 1
1 イエズス、キリストの使徒たるペトロ、ポント、ガラチア、カパドシア[小]アジア及びビチニアに離散して寄留せる人々、
To the People of God who are living abroad, dispersed throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Roman Asia, and Bithynia,
2 父にて在す神の預知に從ひて、[聖]霊によりて聖とせられ、且服從し、イエズス、キリストの御血を沃がれん為に選まれたる人々に[書簡を贈る]。願はくは恩寵と平安と汝等に加はらん事を。
and who were chosen in accordance with the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the consecration of the Spirit, to learn obedience, and to be purified by the sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ, from Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ. May blessing and peace be yours in ever-increasing measure.
3 第一項 信徒の賜はりし恵を神に感謝す。 第一編 キリスト信徒の特典及び其要する聖徳。 祝すべき哉我主イエズス、キリストの父にて在す神、蓋其大いなる憫に從ひて、イエズスの死者の中よりの復活を以て、我等を新に生れしめて、活ける希望を懐かしめ、
Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has, in his great mercy, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 天に於て汝等に備はりたる、屈せず穢れざる而も萎まざる世嗣を得させんとし給ふ。
given us the new Life of undying hope, that promises an inheritance, imperishable, stainless, unfading, which has been reserved for you in Heaven —
5 汝等は神の能力により、終の日に顕るべく備はりたる救霊を得ん為に、信仰を以て守らるるものなり。
for you who, through faith, are being guarded by the power of God, awaiting a Salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last days.
6 是によりて、假令暫くは種々の試に悩まさるべきも、汝等は喜に勝へざるべし。
At the thought of this you are full of exultation, though (if it has been necessary) you have suffered for the moment somewhat from various trials;
7 蓋汝等が信仰の試みらるるは、金が火を以て試るるよりも遥に尊き事にして、イエズス、キリストの公現の時、誉と榮と尊とを得べき者として認められん為なり。
that the genuineness of your faith — a thing far more precious than gold, which is perishable, yet has to be tested by fire — may win praise and glory and honour at the Appearing of Jesus Christ.
8 汝等はイエズス、キリストを見ざりしも、之を愛し奉り、今も尚見ずして之を信じ奉り、信じ奉りて而も光榮を帯びたる言ひ難き喜に勝へざるならん。
Though you have never seen him, yet you love him; though you do not even now see him, yet you believe in him, and exalt with a triumphant happiness too great for words,
9 其は汝等の信仰の目的たる魂の救を得べければなり。
as you receive the reward of your faith in the Salvation of your souls!
10 此救霊に就きては、汝等に於る将來の恩寵の事を預言せし預言者等、穿鑿して之を探求せり。
It was this Salvation that the Prophets, who spoke long ago of the blessing intended for you, sought, and strove to comprehend;
11 即ちキリストの霊は彼等に在して、キリストに於る苦難と其後の光榮とを豫告げ給ひしかば、何時の頃如何なる時を示し給へるぞと探求したりしに、
as they strove to discern what that time could be, to which the Spirit of Christ within them was pointing, when foretelling the sufferings that would befall Christ, and the glories that would follow.
12 其傳ふる所は、彼等自らの為に非ずして汝等の為なりとの黙示を得たり。其傳ふる所とは、天より遣はされ給ひし聖霊によりて汝等に福音を宣べし人々より、汝等が今既に告げられたる所にして、天使等も亦之を鑑みる事を欲せるなり。
And it was revealed to them that it was not for themselves, but for you, that they were acting as Ministers of the truths which have now been told to you, by those who, with the help of the Holy Spirit sent from Heaven, have brought you the Good News — truths into which even angels long to look.
13 第二項 神の御恵に應じて生活すべし。 是故に汝等心に帯して節制し、イエズス、キリストの公現の時汝等に賜はる恩寵を缺くる所なく希望し、
Therefore concentrate your minds, with the strictest self-control, and fix your hopes on the blessing that is coming for you at the Appearing of Jesus Christ.
14 從順なる子兒の如く、最初の不知の望に從ふ事なく、
Be like obedient children; do not let your lives be shaped by the passions which once swayed you in the days of your ignorance,
15 汝等を召し給ひし聖なるものに象りて、凡ての行状に於て汝等も亦聖と成れ。
but in your whole life show yourselves to be holy, after the pattern of the Holy One from whom you received your Call.
16 其は録して、「我は聖なるにより汝等も聖と成るべし」とあればなり。
For Scripture says — ‘You shall be holy, because I am holy.’
17 人に依怙ある事なく、各の業によりて審判し給ふ者を父と呼び奉るならば、畏を以て汝等が世に住める時を過せ。
And since you call upon him as ‘Father,’ who judges every one impartially by what he has done, let reverence be the spirit of your lives during the time of your stay upon earth.
18 是汝等が先祖傳來の空しき行状より贖はれしは、金銀の如き壊るべきものによらずして、
For you know that it was not by perishable things, such as silver and gold, that you were Ransomed from the aimless way of living which was handed down to you from your ancestors,
19 無缺無垢の羔の如きキリストの尊き御血によれる事を知ればなり。
but by precious blood, as it were of a lamb, unblemished and spotless, the Blood of Christ.
20 彼は世界開闢以前より豫知せられ給ひたりしかど、彼によりて神を信仰せる汝等の為に、世の末に顕れ給ひたるものにして、
Destined for this before the beginning of the world, he has been revealed in these last days for your sakes,
21 神が之を死者の中より復活せしめ之に光榮を賜ひしは、汝等の信仰と希望とを神によらしめ給はんとてなり。
who, through him, are faithful to God who raised him from the dead and gave him honour, so that your faith and hope are now in God.
22 汝等偽なき兄弟的相愛を生ぜしめんが為に、眞理に服從する事によりて魂を潔め、一層深く心より相愛せよ。
Now that, by your obedience to the Truth, you have purified your lives, so that there is growing up among you a genuine brotherly affection, love one another earnestly with all your hearts;
since your new Life has come, not from perishable, but imperishable, seed, through the Message of the Everliving God. (aiōn g165)
24 蓋一切の肉身は草の如く、其榮は草の花の如し、草は枯れ其花は落つれども、
For — ‘All earthly life is but as grass, and all its splendour as the flower of grass. The grass fades, its flower falls,
