5:1 So then, as a co-elder and witness of the Anointed’s sufferings, and a partner in the majesty about to be revealed,

5:2 I implore you to properly shepherd the flock of sheep you are guarding. Don’t do this out of compulsion but voluntarily. According to God, neither must you do this out of greed to make a profit but rather eagerly.

5:3 Do not act as masters over that which has been allotted to you, but be role models for the flock of sheep.

5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd is revealed, you will be rewarded with the victor’s crown of unfading honor.

5:5 Likewise, let the newer believers support the more mature ones. Yet at the same time, let everyone humbly take on the role of a servant, because God sets up for battle against the proud but is gracious to the lowly.

5:6 Be humble, then, under the powerful hand of God so you can be lifted up in due time.

5:7 Load upon him the entire weight of your worries, because he cares about you.

5:8 Be alert and keep watch! Your prosecutor, the Slanderer, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to gulp down.

5:9 Stand against him! Be solid in the faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters out in the world are fulfilling the same sufferings as you.

5:10 Now to the God of every favor, the one who calls you into his eternal majesty in Anointed Jesus (who will equip, establish, set firm, and ground those who are briefly suffering),

5:11 be eternal power, absolutely!

5:12 I wrote what I consider a brief letter to you through Silvanus the faithful brother, imploring and giving evidence that this is the true favor of God into which you were made to stand.

5:13 She in Babylon who was chosen along with you greets you, along with my son Mark.

5:14 Greet each other in affectionate love; peace to all of you who are united with the Anointed.