Therefore, rid yourselvesu of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slanderv of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,w so that by it you may grow upx in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.y

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

4 As you come to him, the living Stonez—rejected by humans but chosen by Goda and precious to him—5 you also, like living stones, are being builtb into a spiritual housea c to be a holy priesthood,d offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.e 6 For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a chosen and precious cornerstone,f

and the one who trusts in him

will never be put to shame.”b g

7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,h

“The stone the builders rejectedi

has become the cornerstone,”c j

8 and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall.”d k

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.l

9 But you are a chosen people,m a royal priesthood,n a holy nation,o God’s special possession,p that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.q 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;r once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

11 Dear friends,s I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,t to abstain from sinful desires,u which wage war against your soul.v 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deedsw and glorify Godx on the day he visits us.

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:y whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrongz and to commend those who do right.a 15 For it is God’s willb that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.c 16 Live as free people,d but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;e live as God’s slaves.f 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers,g fear God, honor the emperor.h

18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters,i not only to those who are good and considerate,j but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.k 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.l 21 To thism you were called,n because Christ suffered for you,o leaving you an example,p that you should follow in his steps.

22 “He committed no sin,q

and no deceit was found in his mouth.”e r

23 When they hurled their insults at him,s he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.t Instead, he entrusted himselfu to him who judges justly.v 24 “He himself bore our sins”w in his body on the cross,x so that we might die to sinsy and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”z 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,”f a but now you have returned to the Shepherdb and Overseer of your souls.c