1 Peter 2:4-17

New American Standard Bible

As Living Stones

⁴And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been ^(A)rejected by people, but is ^[a]choice and precious in the sight of God, ⁵^(B)you also, as living stones, ^[b]are being built up as a ^(C)spiritual house for a holy ^(D)priesthood, to ^(E)offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶For this is contained in ^[c]Scripture:

“^(F)Behold, I am laying in Zion a choice stone, a ^(G)precious cornerstone,
And the one who believes in ^[d]Him will not be ^[e]put to shame.”

⁷^(H)This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for unbelievers,

“^(I)A stone which the builders ^(J)rejected,
This became the ^[f]chief cornerstone,”

⁸and,

“^(K)A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”;

^(L)for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, ^(M)and to this they were also appointed.

⁹But you are ^(N)a chosen people, a royal ^(O)priesthood, a ^(P)holy nation, ^(Q)a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you ^(R)out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰^(S)for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹^(T)Beloved, ^(U)I urge you as ^(V)foreigners and strangers to abstain from ^(W)fleshly lusts, which wage ^(X)war against the soul. ¹²^(Y)Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they ^(Z)slander you as evildoers, they may ^[g]because of your good deeds, as they observe them, ^(AA)glorify God ^(AB)on the day of ^[h]visitation.

Honor Authority

¹³^(AC)Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, ¹⁴or to governors as sent ^[i]by him ^(AD)for the punishment of evildoers and the ^(AE)praise of those who do right. ¹⁵For ^[j]^(AF)such is the will of God, that by doing right you ^(AG)silence the ignorance of foolish people. ¹⁶Act as ^(AH)free people, and ^[k]do not use your freedom as a ^[l]covering for evil, but use it as ^(AI)bond-servants of God. ¹⁷^(AJ)Honor all people, ^(AK)love the brotherhood, ^(AL)fear God, ^(AM)honor the ^[m]king.