1 Peter 2–5

Chosen as Living Stones

2Therefore, ridding yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, ²like newborn infants long for the unadulterated spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation, ³if you have tasted that the Lord is kind,^{a 4}to whom you are drawing near, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and precious in the sight of God. ⁵And you yourselves, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶For it stands in scripture,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone,

and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”^b

⁷Therefore the honor is for you who believe, but for those who refuse to believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected,

this one has become the cornerstone^c,”

⁸and

“A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,”^d

who stumble because they^* disobey the word to which also they were consigned. ⁹But you are a chosen race,^e a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s possession, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, ¹⁰who once were not a people, but now are the people of God, the ones who were not shown mercy, but now are shown mercy.^f

¹¹Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires which wage war against your^* soul, ¹²maintaining your good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in the things in which they slander you as evildoers, by seeing your good deeds they may glorify God on the day of visitation.

Submission to Established Authority

¹³Subject yourselves to every human authority for the sake of the Lord, whether to a king^g as having supreme authority, ¹⁴or to governors as those sent out by him for the punishment of those who do evil and the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵For the will of God is as follows: by^* doing good to silence the ignorance of foolish people. ¹⁶Live as free persons, and not using your^* freedom as a covering for evil, but as slaves of God. ¹⁷Honor all people, love the community of believers, fear God, honor the king.^h

¹⁸Domestic slaves, be subject to your^* masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unjust. ¹⁹For this finds favor, if because of consciousness of God someone endures sorrows while^* suffering unjustly. ²⁰For what credit is it if, when you^* sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if you endure when you^* do good and suffer for it, this finds favor with God. ²¹For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his footsteps, ²²who did not commit sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth,^{i 23}who when he^* was reviled, did not revile in return; when^* suffering, he did not threaten, but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly, ²⁴who himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we may die to sins and live to righteousness, by whose wounds you were healed. ²⁵For you were going astray like sheep, but you have turned back now to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Wives and Husbands

3In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some are disobedient to the word, they may be won over without a word by the conduct of their wives, ²when they^* see your respectful, pure conduct. ³Let your^a adornment not be the external kind, braiding hair and putting on gold jewelry or putting on fine clothing, ⁴but the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is highly valuable in the sight of God. ⁵For in the same way formerly the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves by^* being subject to their own husbands, ⁶like Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children you have become when you^* do good and are not frightened with respect to any terror.

⁷Husbands, in the same way live with your wives knowledgeably^b, as with the weaker female vessel, showing them honor as fellow heirs also of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Called to Inherit a Blessing

⁸And finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, showing mutual affection, compassionate, humble, ⁹not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult, but on the other hand blessing others, because for this reason you were called, so that you could inherit a blessing. ¹⁰For

“The one who wants to love life

and see good days

must keep his^* tongue from evil

and his lips must not speak deceit.

¹¹And he must turn away from evil and do good;

he must seek peace and pursue it.

¹²For 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 evil.^c

Suffer for Doing What is Good

¹³And who is the one who will harm you if you are a zealous adherent for what is good? ¹⁴But even if you might suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their intimidation or be disturbed,^{d 15}but set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defense to anyone who asks you for an accounting concerning the hope that is in you. ¹⁶But do so with courtesy and respect, having a good conscience, so that in the things in which you are slandered, the ones who malign your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it^e, than for doing evil.

¹⁸For Christ also suffered once for sins,

the just for the unjust,

in order that he could bring you to God,

being put to death in the flesh,

but made alive in the spirit,

¹⁹in which also he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,

²⁰who were formerly disobedient, when the patience of God waited in the days of Noah, while^* an ark was being constructed, in which a few—that is, eight souls—were rescued through water. ²¹And^f also, corresponding to this, baptism now saves you, not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²²who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, with angels and authorities and powers having been subjected to him.

The Time for Behaving Like the Gentiles is Past

4Therefore, because^* Christ suffered in the flesh, you also equip yourselves with the same way of thinking, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ²in order to live the remaining time in the flesh no longer for human desires, but for the will of God. ³For the time that has passed was sufficient to do what the Gentiles desire to do^a, having lived in licentiousness, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries, ⁴with respect to which they are surprised when^* you do not run with them into the same flood of dissipation, and so they^* revile you. ⁵They^b will give an account to the one who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶Because for this reason also the gospel was preached to those who are dead, so that they were judged by human standards^c in the flesh, but they may live in the spirit by God’s standards^d.

Serving to the Glory of God

⁷Now the end of all things draws near. Therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for your prayers. ⁸Above all, keep^e your love for one another constant, because love covers a large number of sins. ⁹Be hospitable to one another without complaining. ¹⁰Just as each one has received a gift, use it for serving one another, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. ¹¹If anyone speaks, let it be as the oracles of God; if anyone serves, let it be as by the strength that God provides, so that in all things God will be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory and the power forever and ever^f. Amen.

Sharing the Sufferings of Christ

¹²Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, when it^* takes place to test you, as if something strange were happening to you. ¹³But to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, so that also at the revelation of his glory you may rejoice and be glad. ¹⁴If you are reviled on account of the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. ¹⁵By all means do not let anyone of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. ¹⁶But if someone suffers as a Christian, he must not be ashamed, but must glorify God with this name. ¹⁷For it is the time for the judgment to begin out from the household of God. But if it begins out from us first, what will be the outcome for those who are disobedient to the gospel of God? ¹⁸And if the righteous are saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner^g?^{h 19}So then also those who suffer according to the will of God must entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing good.

Leadership and Humility

5Therefore I, your fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and^* also a sharer of the glory that is going to be revealed, exhort the elders among you: ²shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not by compulsion but willingly, in accordance with God, and not greedily but eagerly, ³and not as lording it over those under your care^a, but being examples for the flock. ⁴And when^* the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

⁵In the same way, younger men, be subject to the elders, and all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. ⁶Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the right time, ⁷casting all your cares on him, because he cares^b for you.

⁸Be sober; be on the alert. Your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹Resist him^c, steadfast in your^d faith, because you^* know…