1 Peter 2–5

2Therefore, ^alaying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ^2bas newborn babes, desire the pure ^cmilk of the word, that you may grow ¹thereby, ³if indeed you have ^dtasted that the Lord is gracious.

The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People

⁴Coming to Him as to a living stone, ^erejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

^f“Behold, I lay in Zion

A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,

And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

⁷Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who ²are disobedient,

^g“The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone,”

⁸and

^h“A stone of stumbling

And a rock of offense.”

ⁱThey stumble, being disobedient to the word, ^jto which they also were appointed.

⁹But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of ^kdarkness into His marvelous light; ^10lwho once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Living Before the World

¹¹Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts ^mwhich war against the soul, ¹²ⁿhaving your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, ^othey may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Submission to Government

^13pTherefore submit yourselves to every ³ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, ¹⁴or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—^16qas free, yet not ^rusing liberty as a cloak for ⁴vice, but as bondservants of God. ¹⁷Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear ^sGod. Honor the king.

Submission to Masters

^18tServants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. ¹⁹For this is ^ucommendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. ²⁰For ^vwhat credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. ²¹For ^wto this you were called, because Christ also suffered for ⁵us, ^xleaving ⁶us an example, that you should follow His steps:

²²“Who ^ycommitted no sin,

Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

^23zwho, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but ^acommitted Himself to Him who judges righteously; ^24bwho Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, ^cthat we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—^dby whose ⁷stripes you were healed. ²⁵For ^eyou were like sheep going astray, but have now returned ^fto the Shepherd and ⁸Overseer of your souls.

Submission to Husbands

3Wives, likewise, be ^asubmissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, ^bthey, without a word, may ^cbe won by the conduct of their wives, ^2dwhen they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. ^3eDo not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—⁴rather let it be ^fthe hidden person of the heart, with the ¹incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. ⁵For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, ⁶as Sarah obeyed Abraham, ^gcalling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

A Word to Husbands

^7hHusbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, ⁱas to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, ^jthat your prayers may not be hindered.

Called to Blessing

⁸Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be ²courteous; ^9knot returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary ^lblessing, knowing that you were called to this, ^mthat you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰For

ⁿ“He who would love life

And see good days,

^oLet him ³refrain his tongue from evil,

And his lips from speaking deceit.

¹¹Let him ^pturn away from evil and do good;

^qLet him seek peace and pursue it.

¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

^rAnd His ears are open to their prayers;

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Suffering for Right and Wrong

^13sAnd who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? ^14tBut even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ^u“And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” ¹⁵But ⁴sanctify ⁵the Lord God in your hearts, and always ^vbe ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the ^whope that is in you, with meekness and fear; ^16xhaving a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. ¹⁷For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Christ’s Suffering and Ours

¹⁸For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring ⁶us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, ¹⁹by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, ²⁰who formerly were disobedient, ⁷when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. ^21yThere is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism ^z(not the removal of the filth of the flesh, ^abut the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²²who has gone into heaven and ^bis at the right hand of God, ^cangels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

4Therefore, since Christ suffered ¹for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ²that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, ^abut for the will of God. ³For we have spent enough of our past ²lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. ⁴In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. ⁵They will give an account to Him who is ready ^bto judge the living and the dead. ⁶For this reason ^cthe gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but ^dlive according to God in the spirit.

Serving for God’s Glory

⁷But ^ethe end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. ⁸And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ^f“love will cover a multitude of sins.” ^9gBe hospitable to one another ^hwithout grumbling. ¹⁰ⁱAs each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, ^jas good stewards of ^kthe manifold grace of God. ^11lIf anyone speaks, let him speak as the ³oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that ^min all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the ⁴dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Suffering for God’s Glory

¹²Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ¹³but rejoice ⁿto the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that ^owhen His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. ¹⁴If you are ⁵reproached for the name of Christ, ^pblessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. ⁶On their part He is blasphemed, ^qbut on your part He is glorified. ¹⁵But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a ⁷busybody in other people’s matters. ¹⁶Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this ⁸matter.

¹⁷For the time has come ^rfor judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, ^swhat will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸Now

^t“If the righteous one is scarcely saved,

Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

¹⁹Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God ^ucommit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

Shepherd the Flock

5The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a ^awitness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the ^bglory that will be revealed: ^2cShepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, ^dnot by compulsion but ¹willingly, ^enot for dishonest gain but eagerly; ³nor as ^fbeing ²lords over ^gthose entrusted to you, but ^hbeing examples to the flock; ⁴and when ⁱthe Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive ^jthe crown of glory that does not fade away.

Submit to God, Resist the Devil

⁵Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, ^kall of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

^l“God resists the proud,

But ^mgives grace to the humble.”

⁶Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

⁸Be ³sober, be ⁴vigilant; ⁵because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. ¹⁰But ⁶may the God of all grace, ⁿwho called ⁷us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,…