1 Peter 2–5

CHAPTER 2

As Living Stones, God’s Chosen Family

¹Therefore, ^alaying aside all ¹malice and all deceit and ²hypocrisy and ³envy and all ^4bslander,

^2alike newborn babies, long for the ^1bpure ²milk of the word, so that by it you may ^cgrow ³in respect to salvation,

³if you have ^atasted ^1bthe kindness of the ²Lord.

⁴And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been ^arejected by men, but is ¹choice and precious in the sight of God,

^5ayou also, as living stones, ¹are being built up as a ^bspiritual house for a holy ^cpriesthood, to ^doffer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

⁶For this is contained in ¹Scripture:

“^aBehold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a ^bprecious corner stone,

And he who believes upon ²Him will not be put to shame.”

^7aThis precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,

“^bThe stone which the builders ^crejected,

This has become the chief corner stone,”

⁸and,

“^aA stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”

^bThey stumble because they are disobedient to the word, ^cand to this stumbling they were also appointed.

⁹But you are ^aa chosen family, a royal ^bpriesthood, a ^choly nation, ^da people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you ^eout of darkness into His marvelous light;

^10afor you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

^11aBeloved, ^bI urge you as ^csojourners and exiles to abstain from ^dfleshly lusts which wage ^ewar against the soul,

^12aby keeping your conduct excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing which they ^bslander you as evildoers, they may ¹because of your good works, as they observe them, ^cglorify God ^din the day of ²visitation.

Be Subject to Authority

^13aBe subject for the sake of the Lord to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,

¹⁴or to governors as sent ¹by him ^afor the punishment of evildoers and the ^bpraise of those who do good.

¹⁵For ^1asuch is the will of God that by doing good you may ^bsilence the ignorance of foolish men.

¹⁶Act as ^afree people, and ¹do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as ^bslaves of God.

^17aHonor all people, ^blove the ¹brethren, ^cfear God, ^dhonor the ²king.

^18aServants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to those who are good and ^bconsiderate, but also to those who are ¹crooked.

¹⁹For this finds ¹favor, if for the sake of ^aconscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unrighteously.

²⁰For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure? But if ^awhen you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this finds favor with God.

Christ, Our Example

²¹For to this ^ayou have been called, ^bsince Christ also suffered for you, leaving you ^can example that you should follow in His steps,

²²who ^adid no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;

²³who being ^areviled, was not reviling in return; while suffering, He was uttering no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.

²⁴Who Himself ^1abore our sins in His body on the ^btree, so that ^chaving died to ²sin, we might live to righteousness; ^dby His ³wounds you were ^ehealed.

²⁵For you were ^acontinually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the ^bShepherd and Overseer of your souls.

CHAPTER 3

Wives and Husbands

^1aIn the same way, you wives, ^bbe subject to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be ^cwon without a word by the conduct of their wives,

²as they observe your pure conduct with fear.

^3aYour adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on garments;

⁴but let it be ^athe hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible quality of a lowly and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

⁵For in this way in former times the holy women also, ^awho hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands,

⁶just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, ^acalling him lord. You have become her children if you do good, ^1bnot fearing any intimidation.

^7aYou husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker ^bvessel, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

⁸¹Now to sum up, ^aall of you be like-minded, sympathetic, ^bbrotherly, ^ctender-hearted, and ^dhumble in spirit;

^9anot returning evil for evil or ^breviling for reviling, but ¹giving a ^cblessing instead, for ^dyou were called for the very purpose that you might ^einherit a blessing.

¹⁰For,

“^aThe one who desires life, to love and see good days,

Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.

¹¹“^aHe must turn away from evil and do good;

He must seek peace and pursue it.

¹²“^aFor the eyes of the ¹Lord are toward the righteous,

And His ears attend to their prayer,

But the face of the ²Lord is against those who do evil.”

Suffering for Righteousness

^13aAnd who is ¹there to ²harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?

¹⁴But even if you should ^asuffer for the sake of righteousness, ^byou ¹are blessed. ^cAnd do not fear their fear, and do not be troubled,

¹⁵but ¹sanctify ^aChrist as Lord in your hearts, always being ready ^bto make ²a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the ^chope that is in you, yet ^dwith gentleness and ^efear,

¹⁶having a ^agood conscience so that in the thing in which ^byou are slandered, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame.

¹⁷For ^ait is better, ^bif ¹God should will it so, that you suffer for doing good rather than for doing wrong.

¹⁸For ^aChrist also suffered for sins ^bonce for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might ^cbring you to God, having been put to death ^din the flesh, but made alive ^ein the ¹spirit;

¹⁹in ¹which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,

²⁰who once were disobedient, when the ^apatience of God ^bkept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of ^cthe ark, in which a few, that is, ^deight ^epersons, were brought safely through the ¹water.

^21aCorresponding to that, baptism now saves you—^bnot the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal ¹of a ^cgood conscience to God—through ^dthe resurrection of Jesus Christ,

^22awho is at the right hand of God, ^bhaving gone into heaven, ^cafter angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

CHAPTER 4

Keep Fervent in Your Love

¹Therefore, since ^aChrist has ¹suffered in the flesh, ^barm yourselves also with the same purpose—because ^che who has ²suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin—

^2aso as to no longer live ^bthe rest of the time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the ^cwill of God.

³For ^athe time already past is sufficient for you to have worked out the desire of the Gentiles, ^1bhaving pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and ²abominable idolatries.

⁴In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of ^adissipation, ^bmaligning you,

⁵but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge ^athe living and the dead.

⁶For to this ^athe gospel has been ¹proclaimed even to those who are now dead, so that though they were judged in the flesh as men, they live in the spirit according to the will of God.

^7aThe end of all things is at hand; therefore, ^bbe of sound thinking and sober spirit for the purpose of ¹prayer.

⁸Above all, ^akeep fervent in your love for one another, because ^blove covers a multitude of sins.

^9aBe hospitable to one another without ^bgrumbling.

^10aAs each one has received a gift, employ it in serving one another as good ^bstewards of the manifold grace of God—

^11awhoever speaks, ¹as one speaking the ^boracles of God; whoever serves, as one serving ^2cby the strength which God supplies; so that ^din all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, ^eto whom belongs the glory and might forever and ever. Amen.

Sharing the Suffering of Christ

^12aBeloved, do not be surprised at the ^bfiery trial among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.

¹³But to the degree you are ^asharing the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the ^brevelation of His glory ^cyou may rejoice with exultation.

¹⁴If you are insulted ^1afor the name of Christ, ^byou are blessed, ^cbecause the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

¹⁵Make sure that ^anone of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a ^1btroublesome meddler;

¹⁶but if anyone suffers as a ^aChristian, he is not to be put to shame, but is to ^bglorify God in this name.

¹⁷For it is time for judgment ^ato begin ¹with ^bthe house of God; and if it ^cbegins with us first, what will be the outcome for those ^dwho do not obey the ^egospel of God?

^18aAnd if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, ¹what will become of the ^bgodless man and the sinner?

¹⁹Therefore, those also who suffer according to ^athe will of God must entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing good.

CHAPTER 5

Shepherd the Flock of God

^1aTherefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your ^bfellow elder and ^cwitness of the sufferings of Christ, and a ^dpartaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,

²shepherd ^athe flock of God among you, overseeing ^bnot under compulsion, but willingly, according to God; and ^cnot for dishonest gain, but with eagerness;

³nor yet as ^alording it over ¹those allotted to you, but being ^bexamples to the flock.

⁴And when the Chief ^aShepherd appears, you will receive the ^bunfading ^1ccrown of glory.

^5aYou younger men, likewise, ^bbe subject to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with ^chumility toward one another, for ^dGod is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

⁶Therefore ^ahumble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,

^7aCasting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

^8aBe of sober spirit, ^bbe…