The Living Stone and a Holy People

2 So rid yourselves of z all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. a 2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk, b so that you may grow by it for your salvation, c 3 since you have tasted d that the Lord is good. e f 4 Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God— 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God g through Jesus Christ. 6 For it is contained in Scripture:

Look! I lay a stone in * Zion, h

a chosen and honored i cornerstone, j k

and the one who believes in Him

will never be put to shame! l m n

7 So honor will come to you who believe, but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected—

this One has become the cornerstone, o p

8 and

A stone to stumble over, q

and a rock to trip over. r s t

They stumble because they disobey the message; they were destined u for this.

9 But you are a chosen race, v w x a royal priesthood, y z

a holy nation, a b a people for His possession, c d

so that you may proclaim the praises e f g

of the One who called you out of darkness

into His marvelous light. h

10 Once you were not a people,

but now you are God’s people;

you had not received mercy, i

but now you have received mercy.

A Call to Good Works

11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents j to abstain k from fleshly l desires that war against you. m n 12 Conduct o yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, p so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation. q r

13 Submit s to every human authority t because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor u as the supreme authority v 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will w that you silence the ignorance x of foolish people by doing good. 16 As God’s * slaves, y live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil. z 17 Honor everyone. Love a the brotherhood. b Fear God. c Honor the Emperor. d

Submission of Slaves to Masters

18 Household slaves, submit with all fear e to your masters, f not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel. g h 19 For it brings favor i if, mindful of God’s will, j k someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, l if you endure it, this brings favor with God.

21 For you were called to this,

because Christ also suffered m for you,

leaving you an example, n

so that you should follow o in His steps.

22 He did not commit sin, p

and no deceit q was found in His mouth; r s

23 when He was reviled,

He did not revile in return;

when He was suffering,

He did not threaten

but entrusted Himself to the One who judges t justly.

24 He Himself bore our sins u

in His body v on the tree, w

so that, having died to sins, x

we might live for righteousness; y

you have been healed by His wounds. z a

25 For you were like sheep going astray, b c

but you have now returned

to the Shepherd d and Guardian e of your souls.