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