1 PETER 2 [†] j So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 k Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual  l milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3[†]if indeed you have  m tasted that the Lord is good.

4[†]As you come to him, a living stone  n rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5[†] o you yourselves like living stones are being built up as  p a spiritual house, to be  q a holy priesthood,  r to offer spiritual sacrifices  s acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6[†]For it stands in Scripture:

 t “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,

a cornerstone chosen and precious,

 u and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

7[†]So the honor is for you who  v believe, but for those who  v do not believe,

 w “The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,” [1]

8[†]and

 x “A stone of stumbling,

and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word,  y as they were destined to do.

9[†]But you are  z a chosen race,  a a royal  b priesthood,  c a holy nation,  d a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you  e out of darkness into  f his marvelous light. 10[†] g Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11[†]Beloved, I urge you  h as sojourners and exiles  i to abstain from the passions of the flesh,  j which wage war against your soul. 12[†] k Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers,  l they may see your good deeds and glorify God on  m the day of visitation.

13[†] n Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, [2] whether it be to the emperor [3] as supreme, 14or to governors as sent by him  o to punish those who do evil and  p to praise those who do good. 15[†]For this is the will of God,  q that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16[†] r Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but  s living as servants [4] of God. 17[†] t Honor everyone.  u Love the brotherhood.  v Fear God. Honor the emperor.

18[†] w Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19[†]For this is a gracious thing, when,  x mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But  y if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21[†]For  z to this you have been called,  y because Christ also suffered for you,  a leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22[†] b He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23[†] c When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten,  d but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24[†] e He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we  f might die to sin and  g live to righteousness.  h By his wounds you have been healed. 25For  i you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to  j the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.