1 Peter 2

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.