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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>1 Peter 4 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/1_peter/4.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/1_peter/4-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > 1 Peter 4</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../1_peter/3.htm" title="1 Peter 3">◄</a> 1 Peter 4 <a href="../1_peter/5.htm" title="1 Peter 5">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">Being Faithful to God</h3><p class="par"><span class="v60_4_1"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.1" class="v60_4_1">1</span>Christ suffered here on earth. Now you must be ready to suffer as he did, because suffering shows that you have stopped sinning. </span><span class="v60_4_2"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.2" class="v60_4_2">2</span>It means you have turned from your own desires and want to obey God for the rest of your life. </span><span class="v60_4_3"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.3" class="v60_4_3">3</span>You have already lived long enough like people who don't know God. You were immoral and followed your evil desires. You went around drinking and partying and carrying on. In fact, you even worshiped disgusting idols. </span><span class="v60_4_4"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.4" class="v60_4_4">4</span>Now your former friends wonder why you have stopped running around with them, and they curse you for it. </span><span class="v60_4_5"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.5" class="v60_4_5">5</span>But they will have to answer to God, who judges the living and the dead. </span><span class="v60_4_6"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.6" class="v60_4_6">6</span>The good news has even been preached to the dead,<a href="#fn" id="link_1Pet.4.6!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> so that after they have been judged for what they have done in this life, their spirits will live with God.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v60_4_7"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.7" class="v60_4_7">7</span>Everything will soon come to an end. So be serious and be sensible enough to pray.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v60_4_8"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.8" class="v60_4_8">8</span><a href="#fn" id="link_1Pet.4.8!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Most important of all, you must sincerely love each other, because love wipes away many sins.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v60_4_9"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.9" class="v60_4_9">9</span>Welcome people into your home and don't grumble about it.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v60_4_10"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.10" class="v60_4_10">10</span>Each of you has been blessed with one of God's many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. </span><span class="v60_4_11"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.11" class="v60_4_11">11</span>If you have the gift of speaking, preach God's message. If you have the gift of helping others, do it with the strength that God supplies. Everything should be done in a way that will bring honor to God because of Jesus Christ, who is glorious and powerful forever. Amen.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Suffering for Being a Christian</h3><p class="par"><span class="v60_4_12"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.12" class="v60_4_12">12</span>Dear friends, don't be surprised or shocked that you are going through testing that is like walking through fire. </span><span class="v60_4_13"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.13" class="v60_4_13">13</span>Be glad for the chance to suffer as Christ suffered. It will prepare you for even greater happiness when he makes his glorious return.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v60_4_14"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.14" class="v60_4_14">14</span>Count it a blessing when you suffer for being a Christian. This shows that God's glorious Spirit is with you. </span><span class="v60_4_15"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.15" class="v60_4_15">15</span>But you deserve to suffer if you are a murderer, a thief, a crook, or a busybody. </span><span class="v60_4_16"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.16" class="v60_4_16">16</span>Don't be ashamed to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God that you belong to him. </span><span class="v60_4_17"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.17" class="v60_4_17">17</span>God has already begun judging his own people. And if his judgment begins with us, imagine how terrible it will be for those who refuse to obey his message. The Scriptures say,</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v60_4_18"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.18" class="v60_4_18">18</span><a href="#fn" id="link_1Pet.4.18!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> “If good people barely escape,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v60_4_18">what will happen to sinners</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v60_4_18">and to others</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v60_4_18">who don't respect God?”</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="par"><span class="v60_4_19"><span class="reftext" id="1Pet.4.19" class="v60_4_19">19</span>If you suffer for obeying God, you must have complete faith in your faithful Creator and keep on doing right.</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.6 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">the dead: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Either people who died after becoming followers of Christ or the people of Noah's day (see 3.19).</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. 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