2
As Newborn Babes
1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
As Living Stones
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For this is contained in Scripture:
“Bᴇʜoʟᴅ, I ʟᴀʏ ɪɴ Zɪoɴ ᴀ cʜoɪcᴇ sᴛoɴᴇ, ᴀ ᴘʀᴇcɪoᴜs coʀɴᴇʀ stone,
Aɴᴅ ʜᴇ wʜo ʙᴇʟɪᴇvᴇs ɪɴ Hɪᴍ wɪʟʟ ɴoᴛ ʙᴇ ᴅɪsᴀᴘᴘoɪɴᴛᴇᴅ.”
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
“Tʜᴇ sᴛoɴᴇ wʜɪcʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴜɪʟᴅᴇʀs ʀᴇᴊᴇcᴛᴇᴅ,
Tʜɪs ʙᴇcᴀᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ vᴇʀʏ coʀɴᴇʀ stone,”
8 and,
“A sᴛoɴᴇ oꜰ sᴛᴜᴍʙʟɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ʀocᴋ oꜰ oꜰꜰᴇɴsᴇ”;
for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
9 But you are ᴀ cʜosᴇɴ ʀᴀcᴇ, ᴀ royal ᴘʀɪᴇsᴛʜooᴅ, ᴀ ʜoʟʏ ɴᴀᴛɪoɴ, ᴀ ᴘᴇoᴘʟᴇ ꜰoʀ God’s owɴ ᴘossᴇssɪoɴ, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 for you once were ɴoᴛ ᴀ ᴘᴇoᴘʟᴇ, but now you are ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇoᴘʟᴇ oꜰ Goᴅ; you had ɴoᴛ ʀᴇcᴇɪvᴇᴅ ᴍᴇʀcʏ, but now you have ʀᴇcᴇɪvᴇᴅ ᴍᴇʀcʏ.
11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Honor Authority
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,
14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.
15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.
16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.
17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.
19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.
20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
Christ Is Our Example
21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
22 wʜo coᴍᴍɪᴛᴛᴇᴅ ɴo sɪɴ, ɴoʀ wᴀs ᴀɴʏ ᴅᴇcᴇɪᴛ ꜰoᴜɴᴅ ɪɴ Hɪs ᴍoᴜᴛʜ;
23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.