³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary ^(A)His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for ^(B)the fall and ^[a]rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—

³⁹ And Jesus said, “^(A)For judgment I came into this world, so that ^(B)those who do not see may see, and that ^(C)those who see may become blind.”

^7 (A)This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,

⁸ and,

^(E)They stumble because they are disobedient to the word, ^(F)and to this stumbling they were also appointed.

⁹ But you are ^(G)a chosen family, a royal ^(H)priesthood, a ^(I)holy nation, ^(J)a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you ^(K)out of darkness into His marvelous light; ^10 (L)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 (M)Beloved, ^(N)I urge you as ^(O)sojourners and exiles to abstain from ^(P)fleshly lusts which wage ^(Q)war against the soul, ^12 (R)by keeping your conduct excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing which they ^(S)slander you as evildoers, they may ^[a]because of your good works, as they observe them, ^(T)glorify God ^(U)in the day of ^[b]visitation.

Be Subject to Authority

^13 (V)Be subject for the sake of the Lord to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent ^[c]by him ^(W)for the punishment of evildoers and the ^(X)praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For ^[d](Y)such is the will of God that by doing good you may ^(Z)silence the ignorance of foolish men. ¹⁶ Act as ^(AA)free people, and ^[e]do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as ^(AB)slaves of God. ^17 (AC)Honor all people, ^(AD)love the ^[f]brethren, ^(AE)fear God, ^(AF)honor the ^[g]king.

^18 (AG)Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to those who are good and ^(AH)considerate, but also to those who are ^[h]crooked. ¹⁹ For this finds ^[i]favor, if for the sake of ^(AI)conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unrighteously. ²⁰ For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure? But if ^(AJ)when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this finds favor with God.

Christ, Our Example

²¹ For to this ^(AK)you have been called, ^(AL)since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you ^(AM)an example that you should follow in His steps, ²² who ^(AN)did no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; ²³ who being ^(AO)reviled, was not reviling in return; while suffering, He was uttering no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. ²⁴ Who Himself ^[j](AP)bore our sins in His body on the ^(AQ)tree, so that ^(AR)having died to ^[k]sin, we might live to righteousness; ^(AS)by His ^[l]wounds you were ^(AT)healed. ²⁵ For you were ^(AU)continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the ^(AV)Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.