1 Peter 2:4–25

As Living Stones

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 in ²Him will not be ³disappointed.”

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

“^bThe stone which the builders ^crejected,

This became the very corner stone,”

⁸and,

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

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

⁹But you are ^aa chosen race, 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 ^caliens and strangers to abstain from ^dfleshly lusts which wage ^ewar against the soul.

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

Honor Authority

^13aSubmit yourselves for the Lord’s sake 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 right.

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

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

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

^18aServants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and ^bgentle, but also to those who are ¹unreasonable.

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

²⁰For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if ^awhen you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds ¹favor with God.

Christ Is Our Example

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

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

²³¹and while being ^areviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

²⁴and He Himself ^1abore our sins in His body on the ^2bcross, so that we ^cmight die to ³sin and live to righteousness; for ^dby His ⁴wounds you were ^ehealed.

²⁵For you were ^acontinually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the ^bShepherd and ¹Guardian of your souls.