1 Peter 2:4–25

⁴As you come to him, a living stone ⁿrejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, ^5oyou yourselves like living stones are being built up as ^pa spiritual house, to be ^qa holy priesthood, ^rto offer spiritual sacrifices ^sacceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶For it stands in Scripture:

^t“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,

a cornerstone chosen and precious,

^uand whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

⁷So the honor is for you who ^vbelieve, but for those who ^vdo not believe,

^w“The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,”¹

⁸and

^x“A stone of stumbling,

and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, ^yas they were destined to do.

⁹But you are ^za chosen race, ^aa royal ^bpriesthood, ^ca holy nation, ^da people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you ^eout of darkness into ^fhis marvelous light. ^10gOnce you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹Beloved, I urge you ^has sojourners and exiles ⁱto abstain from the passions of the flesh, ^jwhich wage war against your soul. ^12kKeep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, ^lthey may see your good deeds and glorify God on ^mthe day of visitation.

Submission to Authority

¹³ⁿBe subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,² whether it be to the emperor³ as supreme, ¹⁴or to governors as sent by him ^oto punish those who do evil and ^pto praise those who do good. ¹⁵For this is the will of God, ^qthat by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. ^16rLive as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but ^sliving as servants⁴ of God. ^17tHonor everyone. ^uLove the brotherhood. ^vFear God. Honor the emperor.

^18wServants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.^{5 19}For this is a gracious thing, when, ^xmindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. ²⁰For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But ^yif when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. ²¹For ^zto this you have been called, ^ybecause Christ also suffered for you, ^aleaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. ^22bHe committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. ^23cWhen he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, ^dbut continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. ^24eHe himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we ^fmight die to sin and ^glive to righteousness. ^hBy his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵For ⁱyou were straying like sheep, but have now returned to ^jthe Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.