1 Peter 2–5

THE LIVING STONE AND A HOLY PEOPLE

2Therefore, rid yourselves of^a all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.^{b 2}Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word,^Ec so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, ³if you have tasted^d that the Lord is good.^{Fe 4}As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by^G God—⁵you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood^H to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God^f through Jesus Christ. ⁶For it stands in Scripture:

See, I lay a stone in Zion,^g

a chosen and honored^I cornerstone,^h

and the one who believes in him

will never be put to shame.^Ji

⁷So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected—

this one has become the cornerstone,^Kj

⁸and

A stone to stumble over,

and a rock to trip over.^Lk

They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined^l for this.

⁹But you are a chosen race,^MNm a royal priesthood,^On a holy nation,^Po a people for his possession,^Qp so that you may proclaim the praises^RSq of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.^{r 10}Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy,^s but now you have received mercy.

A CALL TO GOOD WORKS

¹¹Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles^t to abstain^u from sinful^v desires that wage war against the soul.^{w 12}Conduct^x yourselves honorably among the Gentiles,^A so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.^y

¹³Submit^z to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor^B as the supreme authority^{aa 14}or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. ¹⁵For it is God’s will^ab that you silence the ignorance^ac of foolish people by doing good. ¹⁶Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil,^ad but as God’s slaves.^{ae 17}Honor everyone. Love^af the brothers and sisters.^ag Fear God.^ah Honor the emperor.

SUBMISSION OF SLAVES TO MASTERS

¹⁸Household slaves, submit to your masters^ai with all reverence^aj not only to the good and gentle ones but also to the cruel.^{ak 19}For it brings favor if, because of a consciousness of God, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. ²⁰For what credit is there if when you do wrong and are beaten, you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer,^al if you endure it, this brings favor with God.

²¹For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered^am for you, leaving you an example,^an that you should follow^ao in his steps. ²²He did not commit sin,^ap and no deceit^aq was found in his mouth;^{Car 23}when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges^as justly. ²⁴He himself bore our sins^at in his body^au on the tree;^av so that, having died to sins,^aw we might live for righteousness.^ax By his wounds^Day you have been healed. ²⁵For you were like sheep going astray,^Eaz but you have now returned to the Shepherd^ba and Overseer^F of your souls.

WIVES AND HUSBANDS

3In the same way, wives,^bb submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the word,^bc they may be won over^bd without a word by the way their wives live^{be 2}when they observe your pure, reverent lives.^{bf 3}Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes,^{bg 4}but rather what is inside the heart^Gbh—the imperishable quality of a gentle^bi and quiet^bj spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. ⁵For in the past, the holy^bk women who put their hope^bl in God also adorned themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, ⁶just as Sarah^a obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and do not fear any intimidation.^b

⁷Husbands,^c in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner,^d showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

DO NO EVIL

⁸Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another,^e and be compassionate^f and humble,^{A 9}not paying back evil for evil^g or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing,^h since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.

¹⁰For theⁱ one who wants to love life

and to see good days,

let him keep his tongue from evil^j

and his lips from speaking deceit,^k

¹¹and let him turn away^l from evil

and do what is good.

Let him seek peace^m and pursue it,

¹²because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous

and his ears are open to their prayer.

But the face of the Lord is against

those who do what is evil.^B

UNDESERVED SUFFERING

¹³Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good? ¹⁴But even if you should suffer for righteousness,ⁿ you are blessed. Do not fear them^Co or be intimidated,^{Dp 15}but in your hearts regard^E Christ^F the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.^{q 16}Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience,^r so that when you are accused,^G those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. ¹⁷For it is better to suffer^s for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

¹⁸For Christ also suffered^t for sins once for all,^u the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God.^v He was put to death in the flesh^Hw but made alive by the Spirit,^{I 19}in which^J he also went and made proclamation to the spirits^x in prison ²⁰who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah^y while the ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight people^Kz—were saved through water. ²¹Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body,^aa but the pledge^L of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,^{ab 22}who has gone into heaven^ac and is at the right hand of God^ad with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.^ae

FOLLOWING CHRIST

4Therefore, since Christ suffered^M in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same understanding^N—because the one who suffers in the flesh is finished^af with sin^O—²in order to live the remaining time in the flesh no longer for human desires, but for God’s will.^{ag 3}For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the Gentiles choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires,^ah drunkenness, orgies,^ai carousing, and lawless idolatry. ⁴They are surprised that you don’t join them in the same flood of wild living—and they slander^A you. ⁵They will give an account to the one who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.^{aj 6}For this reason the gospel was also preached to those who are now dead,^Bak so that, although they might be judged in the flesh according to human standards,^al they might live^am in the spirit according to God’s standards.

END-TIME ETHICS

⁷The end of all things is near;^an therefore, be alert and sober-minded^ao for prayer. ⁸Above all, maintain constant love^ap for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.^{Caq 9}Be hospitable^ar to one another without complaining. ¹⁰Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others,^as as good stewards of the varied grace of God. ¹¹If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides,^at so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

CHRISTIAN SUFFERING

¹²Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you.^{a 13}Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ,^b so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.^{c 14}If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ,^d you are blessed, because the Spirit^e of glory and of God^D rests on you. ¹⁵Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler.^{E 16}But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name.^{F 17}For the time has come for judgment^f to begin with God’s household,^g and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?

¹⁸And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty,

what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?^Gh

¹⁹So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselvesⁱ to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.

ABOUT THE ELDERS

5I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witness^j to the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory about to be revealed:^{k 2}Shepherd God’s flock among you,^l not overseeing^H out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you;^I not out of greed for money but eagerly; ³not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. ⁴And when the chief Shepherd^m appears, you will receive the unfading crownⁿ of glory. ⁵In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. All of you clothe yourselves with^J humility toward one another, because

God resists the proud

but gives grace to the humble.^Ao

CONCLUSION

⁶Humble^p yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand^q of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, ⁷casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.^{r 8}Be sober-minded,^s be alert.^t Your adversary the devil^u is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. ⁹Resist him,^v firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.

¹⁰The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory^w in Christ,^B will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support…