1 Peter 1:16

New Living Translation

For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

King James Version (1611)
Because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy.

King James Version
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

English Standard Version
since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

New American Standard Bible
because it is written: "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

New Century Version
It is written in the Scriptures: "You must be holy, because I am holy."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

Berean Standard Bible
for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Contemporary English Version
That's why the Scriptures say, "I am the holy God, and you must be holy too."

Complete Jewish Bible
since the Tanakh says, "You are to be holy because I am holy."

Darby Translation
because it is written, Be ye holy, for *I* am holy.

Easy-to-Read Version
In the Scriptures God says, "Be holy, because I am holy."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Because it is written, Be yee holie, for I am holie.

George Lamsa Translation
Because it is written, Be you holy, even as I am holy.

Good News Translation
The scripture says, "Be holy because I am holy."

Lexham English Bible
for it is written, "You will be holy, because I am holy."

Literal Translation
because it has been written, "Be holy," "because I am holy." Lev. 19:2

Amplified Bible
because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY (set apart), FOR I AM HOLY."

American Standard Version
because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.

Bible in Basic English
Because it has been said in the Writings, You are to be holy, for I am holy.

Hebrew Names Version
because it is written, "You shall be holy; for I am holy."

International Standard Version
For it is written, "You must be holy, because I am holy."Leviticus 11:44-45; Leviticus 19:2">[fn]Leviticus 11:44; 19:2; 20:7;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
because it is written, Be ye holy, as I also am holy.

Murdock Translation
Because it is written: Be ye holy, even as I am holy.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Because it is written, be ye holy, for I am holy.

English Revised Version
because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.

World English Bible
because it is written, "You shall be holy; for I am holy."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Weymouth's New Testament
Because it stands written, "You are to be holy, because I am holy."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
for it is writun, Ye schulen be hooli, for Y am hooli.

Update Bible Version
because it is written, You shall be holy; for I am holy.

Webster's Bible Translation
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

New English Translation
for it is written, " You shall be holy , because I am holy ."

New King James Version
because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." Leviticus 11:44, 45; Leviticus 19:2; Leviticus 20:7">[fn]

New Life Bible
The Holy Writings say, "You must be holy, for I am holy."

New Revised Standard
for it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Inasmuch as it is written - Holy shall ye be, because, I, am holy.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Because it is written: You shall be holy, for I am holy.

Revised Standard Version
since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
because it is written. Be ye holy for I am holy.

Young's Literal Translation
because it hath been written, `Become ye holy, because I am holy;'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for it it wrytte: Be ye holy, for I am holy.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for it is written, "be ye holy, because I am holy."

Simplified Cowboy Version
Don't forget what the Good Book says, "Be holy because I am holy."

Contextual Overview

¹³ So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. ¹⁴ So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. ¹⁵ But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. ¹⁶ For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy." ¹⁷ And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as "temporary residents." ¹⁸ For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. ¹⁹ It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. ²⁰ God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake. ²¹ Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. ²² You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Leviticus 11:44, Leviticus 19:2, Leviticus 20:7, Amos 3:3

Reciprocal: Exodus 15:11 - glorious Exodus 19:6 - and an Exodus 20:26 - thy nakedness Exodus 22:31 - holy Exodus 28:36 - HOLINESS Leviticus 6:18 - every one Leviticus 20:26 - the Lord Numbers 15:40 - be holy Deuteronomy 10:12 - to walk Deuteronomy 14:21 - an holy 1 Samuel 2:2 - none holy Psalms 99:9 - for the Isaiah 5:16 - sanctified Habakkuk 1:13 - of Matthew 5:48 - ye Luke 6:36 - General Romans 3:10 - As it is 1 Corinthians 1:2 - called Ephesians 5:1 - followers 1 Thessalonians 2:12 - walk 2 Timothy 1:9 - called Hebrews 12:10 - partakers Hebrews 12:14 - and holiness 1 John 3:7 - even Revelation 15:4 - thou only

Cross-References

Genesis 1:7
And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens.

Genesis 1:8
God called the space "sky." And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day.

Genesis 1:9
Then God said, "Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear." And that is what happened.

Genesis 1:12
The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:14
Then God said, "Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years.

Deuteronomy 4:19
And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don't be seduced into worshiping them. The Lord your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth.

Job 31:26
"Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies, or the moon walking down its silver pathway,

Job 38:7
as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

Psalms 8:3
When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place—

Psalms 19:6
The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Because it is written,.... In Leviticus 11:44

be ye holy, for I am holy: an argument the apostle knew must have weight with these persons, who were chiefly Jews, scattered abroad among the Gentiles, and had a value for the Scriptures of truth; and therefore, as the argument for holiness of life, from the nature and perfections of God, is strong, it must receive additional strength from this being the declared will of God, even their sanctification on this account; and though holiness, equal to God, is never to be attained to by a creature, yet so far as it is capable of it, it is desirable, because agreeable both to the nature and will of God, by all such who are truly his children, who love his name, adore his perfections, give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness, fear his goodness, and obey his will.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy - Leviticus 11:44. This command was addressed at first to the Israelites, but it is with equal propriety addressed to Christians, as the professed people of God. The foundation of the command is, that they professed to be his people, and that as his people they ought to be like their God. Compare Micah 4:5. It is a great truth, that people everywhere will imitate the God whom they worship. They will form their character in accordance with his. They will regard what he does as right. They will attempt to rise no higher in virtue than the God whom they adore, and they will practice freely what he is supposed to do or approve. Hence, by knowing what are the characteristics of the gods which are worshipped by any people, we may form a correct estimate of the character of the people themselves; and, hence, as the God who is the object of the Christian’s worship is perfectly holy, the character of His worshipers should also be holy. And hence, also, we may see that the tendency of true religion is to make people pure. As the worship of the impure gods of the pagan moulds the character of the worshippers into their image, so the worship of Yahweh moulds the character of His professed friends into His image, and they become like him.