1 Peter 2

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The Living Stone and Chosen People

¹Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.

¹Therefore, having put off all malice and all deceit and hypocrisies and envies and all evil-speakings,

²Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

²like newborn babies, long for the reasonable, unspoiled milk, so that in it you may grow up into salvation,

³now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

³if you tasted that the Lord is good.

⁴As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight,

⁴Coming to Him, a living stone, indeed rejected by men but chosen and precious with God,

⁵you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

⁵you yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

⁶For it stands in Scripture:

“See, I lay in Zion a stone,

a chosen and precious cornerstone;

and the one who believes in Him

will never be put to shame.”^a

⁶Therefore it is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and the one believing on Him shall never be put to shame.”

⁷To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,”^a

⁷Therefore the preciousness is to you who are believing. But to those disbelieving, “The stone that those building rejected, this became into the head of the corner,”

⁸and,

“A stone of stumbling

and a rock of offense.”^a

They stumble because they disobey the word—and to this they were appointed.

⁸and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed.

⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

⁹But you are a chosen kindred, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of the One having called you out of darkness into His marvelous light,

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

¹⁰who once were not a people, but now are the people of God—those not having received mercy, but now having received mercy.

¹¹Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.

¹¹Beloved, I exhort you, as foreigners and sojourners, to abstain from fleshly desires, which war against the soul,

¹²Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

¹²having your conduct among the Gentiles good, so that wherein which they speak against you as evildoers, out of having witnessed the good works, they may glorify God in the day of visitation.

Submission to Authorities

¹³Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority,

¹³Be in subjection to every human creation because of the Lord, whether to the king as being supreme,

¹⁴or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.

¹⁴or to governors as being sent by him for punishment to evildoers and praise to doers of good,

¹⁵For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men.

¹⁵because the will of God is this: doing good, to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men,

¹⁶Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

¹⁶as free, and not having the freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as servants of God.

¹⁷Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers,^a fear God, honor the king.

¹⁷Honor everyone: love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

¹⁸Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect,^a not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.

¹⁸Servants, be subject in all fear to your masters, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the crooked.

¹⁹For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended.

¹⁹For this is grace, if because of conscience toward God, anyone bears up under griefs, suffering unjustly.

²⁰How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

²⁰For what kind of renown is it if sinning and being battered, you shall endure? But if doing good and suffering, you shall endure, this is grace with God.

Christ’s Example of Suffering

²¹For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps:

²¹For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you should follow after His footsteps:

²²“He committed no sin,

and no deceit was found in His mouth.”^a

²²“Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.”

²³When they heaped abuse on Him,

He did not retaliate;

when He suffered, He made no threats,

but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

²³Who, being reviled, was not reviling in return; suffering, was not threatening, but He was giving Himself up to the One judging justly,

²⁴He Himself bore our sins^a

in His body on the tree,

so that we might die to sin

and live to righteousness.

“By His stripes you are healed.”^b

²⁴who Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having been dead to sins, we might live to righteousness, “by whose stripes you were healed.”

²⁵For “you were like sheep going astray,”^a but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

²⁵For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.