The Living Stone and a Holy People

Therefore, rid yourselves of(A) all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.(B) Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word,[a](C) so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, if you have tasted(D) that the Lord is good.[b](E) As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by[c] God— you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood[d] to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God(F) through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

See, I lay a stone in Zion,(G)
a chosen and honored[e] cornerstone,(H)
and the one who believes in him
will never be put to shame.[f](I)

So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected—
this one has become the cornerstone,[g](J)

and

A stone to stumble over,
and a rock to trip over.[h](K)

They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined(L) for this.

But you are a chosen race,[i][j](M) a royal priesthood,[k](N) a holy nation,[l](O) a people for his possession,[m](P) so that you may proclaim the praises[n][o](Q) of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.(R) 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy,(S) but now you have received mercy.

A Call to Good Works

11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles(T) to abstain(U) from sinful(V) desires that wage war against the soul.(W) 12 Conduct(X) yourselves honorably among the Gentiles,[p] so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.(Y)

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Footnotes

  1. 2:2 Or desire pure spiritual milk
  2. 2:3 Ps 34:8
  3. 2:4 Or precious to
  4. 2:5 Or you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood
  5. 2:6 Or precious
  6. 2:6 Is 28:16 LXX
  7. 2:7 Ps 118:22
  8. 2:8 Is 8:14
  9. 2:9 Or generation, or nation
  10. 2:9 Dt 7:6; 10:15; Is 43:20 LXX
  11. 2:9 Ex 19:6; 23:22 LXX; Is 61:6
  12. 2:9 Ex 19:6; 23:22 LXX
  13. 2:9 Ex 19:5; 23:22 LXX; Dt 4:20; 7:6; Is 43:21 LXX
  14. 2:9 Or the mighty deeds
  15. 2:9 Is 42:12; 43:21
  16. 2:12 Or among the nations, or among the pagans

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