1  Now I will say this to those among you who are elders in the congregations: I also am an elder. I am one of those who saw Christ when he suffered, and I am also one who will share some of the glory/greatness that Christ has in heaven. 2  I appeal to you elders to take care of the people who are in your congregations [MET] as shepherds take care of their flocks of sheep. Do this, not because you must do it, but instead do it willingly, as God desires. Do not be greedy to get a lot of money for doing it, but instead do it enthusiastically/wholeheartedly. 3 Do not act like domineering bosses over the people [MET] whom God has assigned/entrusted to you, but instead be examples to them by the way in which you conduct your lives. 4  If you do that, when Jesus, who is like our chief shepherd [MET], appears, he will give each of you a glorious/wonderful reward [MET]. That reward will be like the wreaths that are given to victorious athletes, but your reward will never wither like wreaths do.

5  Now I will say this to you young men and women. Just like married men and women are ◄ to be subject/to submit themselves► to their spouses, you must ◄be subject/submit yourselves► ◄to the older men/to the leaders► of the congregation. And all of you believers should act [MET] humbly toward each other, because this proverb is true,

6 Therefore, realizing that God has great power [MTY] to punish proud people, humble yourselves in order that he may honor you at the time that he has determined. 7 Because he takes care of you, let him take care of all the things that you are worried/concerned about.

8 Always be alert with your full attention, because the devil, who is your enemy, is going/sneaking around, looking for people to destroy. He is like [SIM] a lion who roars as it prowls around, seeking someone to kill and devour. 9 You must resist him by continuing to firmly trust in Christ and his message, remembering that your fellow believers all over the world are experiencing similar sufferings that the devil is bringing to them. 10 God is the one who kindly helps us in every situation, and he is the one who chose us to share his eternal glory/greatness in heaven because of our relationship with Christ. And after you have suffered for awhile because of things that people do to harm you, he will remove your spiritual defects/imperfections, he will strengthen you spiritually [DOU], and he will support you emotionally. 11  I pray/desire that he will rule powerfully forever. ◄May it be so!/Amen!►

12 Silas has written this letter for me as I have ◄ dictated it to him/told him what to write►. I consider/know that he is a faithful fellow believer. I have written this short letter to you to encourage you, and I want to assure you that what I have written is a true message about the things that God kindly does for us, things that we do not deserve. Continue to firmly believe this message.

13 In this city that is sometimes referred to as ‘Babylon’ [MET], the believers [SYN], whom God has chosen to belong to him just like he chose you, ◄send you (pl) their greetings/say that they are thinking affectionately about you►. Mark, who is [MET] like a son to me, also ◄ sends you his greetings/says that he is thinking affectionately about you►. 14 Greet each other with a kiss on the cheek to show that you love each other. I pray that God will give inner peace to all of you who have a relationship with Christ.