THE LIVING STONE AND A HOLY PEOPLE

2 Therefore, rid yourselves ofa all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.b 2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word,E,c so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, 3 if you have tastedd that the Lord is good.F,e 4 As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored byG God—5 you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthoodH to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Godf through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

See, I lay a stone in Zion,g

a chosen and honoredI cornerstone,h

and the one who believes in him

will never be put to shame.J,i

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

The stone that the builders rejected—

this one has become the cornerstone,K,j

8 and

A stone to stumble over,

and a rock to trip over.L,k

They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destinedl for this.