1 Peter 1:16

Contemporary English Version

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

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."

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

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 Be alert and think straight. Put all your hope in how kind God will be to you when Jesus Christ appears. ¹⁴ Behave like obedient children. Don't let your lives be controlled by your desires, as they used to be. ¹⁵ Always live as God's holy people should, because God is the one who chose you, and he is holy. ¹⁶ That's why the Scriptures say, "I am the holy God, and you must be holy too." ¹⁷ You say that God is your Father, but God doesn't have favorites! He judges all people by what they do. So you must honor God while you live as strangers here on earth. ¹⁸ You were rescued from the useless way of life that you learned from your ancestors. But you know that you were not rescued by such things as silver or gold that don't last forever. ¹⁹ You were rescued by the precious blood of Christ, that spotless and innocent lamb. ²⁰ Christ was chosen even before the world was created, but because of you, he did not come until these last days. ²¹ And when he did come, it was to lead you to have faith in God, who raised him from death and honored him in a glorious way. That's why you have put your faith and hope in God. ²² You obeyed the truth, and your souls were made pure. Now you sincerely love each other. But you must keep on loving 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's what happened. God made the dome

Genesis 1:8
and named it "Sky." Evening came and then morning—that was the second day.

Genesis 1:9

The Third Day

God said, "I command the water under the sky to come together in one place, so there will be dry ground." And that's what happened.

Genesis 1:12
The earth produced all kinds of vegetation. God looked at what he had done, and it was good.

Genesis 1:14

The Fourth Day

God said, "I command lights to appear in the sky and to separate day from night and to show the time for seasons, special days, and years.

Deuteronomy 4:19
And when you see the sun or moon or stars, don't be tempted to bow down and worship them. The Lord put them there for all the other nations to worship.

Job 31:26
I have never openly or secretly

Job 38:7
while morning stars sang, and angels rejoiced?

Psalms 8:3
I often think of the heavens your hands have made, and of the moon and stars you put in place.

Psalms 19:6
It travels all the way across the sky. Nothing hides 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.