1 Peter 2
Christian Standard Bible
The Living Stone and a Holy People
2 Therefore, rid yourselves of(A) all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.(B) 2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word,[a](C) so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, 3 if you have tasted(D) that the Lord is good.[b](E) 4 As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by[c] God— 5 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. 6 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)
7 So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,
8 and
They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined(L) for this.
9 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)
13 Submit(Z) to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor[q] as the supreme authority(AA) 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will(AB) that you silence the ignorance(AC) of foolish people by doing good. 16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil,(AD) but as God’s slaves.(AE) 17 Honor everyone. Love(AF) the brothers and sisters.(AG) Fear God.(AH) Honor the emperor.
Submission of Slaves to Masters
18 Household slaves, submit to your masters(AI) with all reverence(AJ) not only to the good and gentle ones but also to the cruel.(AK) 19 For it brings favor if, because of a consciousness of God, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if when you do wrong and are beaten, you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer,(AL) if you endure it, this brings favor with God.
21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered(AM) for you, leaving you an example,(AN) that you should follow(AO) in his steps. 22 He did not commit sin,(AP) and no deceit(AQ) was found in his mouth;[r](AR) 23 when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges(AS) justly. 24 He himself bore our sins(AT) in his body(AU) on the tree;(AV) so that, having died to sins,(AW) we might live for righteousness.(AX) By his wounds[s](AY) you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray,[t](AZ) but you have now returned to the Shepherd(BA) and Overseer[u] of your souls.
Footnotes
- 2:2 Or desire pure spiritual milk
- 2:3 Ps 34:8
- 2:4 Or precious to
- 2:5 Or you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood
- 2:6 Or precious
- 2:6 Is 28:16 LXX
- 2:7 Ps 118:22
- 2:8 Is 8:14
- 2:9 Or generation, or nation
- 2:9 Dt 7:6; 10:15; Is 43:20 LXX
- 2:9 Ex 19:6; 23:22 LXX; Is 61:6
- 2:9 Ex 19:6; 23:22 LXX
- 2:9 Ex 19:5; 23:22 LXX; Dt 4:20; 7:6; Is 43:21 LXX
- 2:9 Or the mighty deeds
- 2:9 Is 42:12; 43:21
- 2:12 Or among the nations, or among the pagans
- 2:13 Or king
- 2:22 Is 53:9
- 2:24 Is 53:5
- 2:25 Is 53:6
- 2:25 Or Guardian
1 Peter 2
New King James Version
Our Inheritance Through Christ’s Blood
2 Therefore, (A)laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 (B)as newborn babes, desire the pure (C)milk of the word, that you may grow [a]thereby, 3 if indeed you have (D)tasted that the Lord is gracious.
The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People(E)
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, (F)rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,
(G)“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who [b]are disobedient,
(H)“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”
8 and
(I)“A stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense.”
(J)They stumble, being disobedient to the word, (K)to which they also were appointed.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of (L)darkness into His marvelous light; 10 (M)who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Living Before the World
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts (N)which war against the soul, 12 (O)having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, (P)they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submission to Government(Q)
13 (R)Therefore submit yourselves to every [c]ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 (S)as free, yet not (T)using liberty as a cloak for [d]vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear (U)God. Honor the king.
Submission to Masters(V)
18 (W)Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is (X)commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For (Y)what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For (Z)to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for [e]us, (AA)leaving [f]us an example, that you should follow His steps:
22 “Who(AB) committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
23 (AC)who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but (AD)committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 (AE)who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, (AF)that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—(AG)by whose [g]stripes you were healed. 25 For (AH)you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned (AI)to the Shepherd and [h]Overseer of your souls.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 2:2 NU adds up to salvation
- 1 Peter 2:7 NU disbelieve
- 1 Peter 2:13 institution
- 1 Peter 2:16 wickedness
- 1 Peter 2:21 NU you
- 1 Peter 2:21 NU, M you
- 1 Peter 2:24 wounds
- 1 Peter 2:25 Gr. Episkopos
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
