1 Peter 2

A Living Stone and a Holy People

1  a So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2  b Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual c milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have d tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, a living stone e rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5  f you yourselves like living stones are being built up as g a spiritual house, to be h a holy priesthood i to offer spiritual sacrifices j acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

k “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
l and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

7 So the honor is for you who m believe, but for those who n do not believe,

o “The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,” ▼
▼ Greek  the head of the corner

8 and

q “A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, r as they were destined to do.

9 But you are s a chosen race t a royal u priesthood v a holy nation w a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you x out of darkness into y his marvelous light. 10  z Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11 Beloved, I urge you aa as sojourners and exiles ab to abstain from the passions of the flesh ac which wage war against your soul. 12  ad Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers ae they may see your good deeds and glorify God on af the day of visitation.

Submission to Authority

13  ag Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution ▼
▼ Or  every institution ordained for people
 whether it be to the emperor ▼
▼ Or king; also verse 17
 as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him aj to punish those who do evil and ak to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God al that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16  am Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but an living as servants ▼
▼ Greek bondservants
 of God. 17  ap Honor everyone. aq Love the brotherhood. ar Fear God. Honor the emperor.

18  as Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when at mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But au if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For av to this you have been called aw because Christ also suffered for you ax leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22  ay He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23  az When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten ba but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24  bb He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we bc might die to sin and bd live to righteousness. be By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For bf you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to bg the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

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