1 Peter 2
New Testament for Everyone
2 So put away all evil, all deceitful, hateful malice, and all ill-speaking. 2 As newborn babies, long for the spiritual milk, the real stuff, not watered down. That is what will make you grow up to salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
The living stone
4 Come to him, to that living stone. Humans rejected him, but God chose him and values him very highly! 5 Like living stones yourselves, you are being built up into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that will be well pleasing to God through Jesus the Messiah.
6 That’s why it stands in scripture:
Look! I’m setting up in Zion
a chosen, precious cornerstone;
believe in him! You’ll not be ashamed.
7 He is indeed precious for you believers. But when people don’t believe, “the stone which the builders rejected has become the head cornerstone,” 8 and “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble as they disobey the word, which indeed was their destiny. 9 But you are a “chosen race; a royal priesthood”; a holy nation; a people for God’s possession. Your purpose is to announce the virtuous deeds of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. 10 Once you were “no people”; now you are “God’s people.” Once you had not received mercy; now you have received mercy.
Living in a pagan world
11 My beloved ones, I beg you—strangers and resident aliens as you are—to hold back from the fleshly desires that wage war against your true lives. 12 Keep up good conduct among the pagans, so that when they speak against you as evildoers they will observe your good deeds and praise God on the day of his royal arrival.
13 Be subject to every human institution, for the sake of the Lord: whether to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish evildoers and praise those who do good. 15 This, you see, is God’s will. He wants you to behave well and so to silence foolish and ignorant people. 16 Live as free people (though don’t use your freedom as a veil to hide evil!), but as slaves of God. 17 Do honor to all people; love the family; reverence God; honor the emperor.
Suffering as the Messiah did
18 Let slaves obey their masters with all respect, not only the good and kind ones but also the unkind ones. 19 It is to your credit, you see, if because of a godly conscience you put up with unjust and painful suffering. 20 After all, what credit is it if you do something wrong, are beaten for it, and take it patiently? But if you do what is right, suffer for it, and bear it patiently, this is to your credit before God.
21 This, after all, is what came with the terms of your call, because
the Messiah, too, suffered on your behalf,
leaving behind a pattern for you
so that you should follow the way he walked.
22 He committed no sin,
nor was there any deceit in his mouth.
23 When he was insulted, he didn’t insult in return,
when he suffered, he didn’t threaten,
but he gave himself up to the one who judges justly.
24 He himself bore our sins
in his body on the cross,
so that we might be free from sins
and live for righteousness.
It is by his wound that you are healed.
25 For you were going astray like sheep,
but now you have returned to the shepherd
and guardian of your true lives.
1 Peter 2
English Standard Version
A Living Stone and a Holy People
2 (A)So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 (B)Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual (C)milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have (D)tasted that the Lord is good.
4 As you come to him, a living stone (E)rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 (F)you yourselves like living stones are being built up as (G)a spiritual house, to be (H)a holy priesthood, (I)to offer spiritual sacrifices (J)acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
(K)“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
(L)and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who (M)believe, but for those who (N)do not believe,
8 and
(P)“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, (Q)as they were destined to do.
9 But you are (R)a chosen race, (S)a royal (T)priesthood, (U)a holy nation, (V)a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you (W)out of darkness into (X)his marvelous light. 10 (Y)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 (Z)as sojourners and exiles (AA)to abstain from the passions of the flesh, (AB)which wage war against your soul. 12 (AC)Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, (AD)they may see your good deeds and glorify God on (AE)the day of visitation.
Submission to Authority
13 (AF)Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution,[b] whether it be to the emperor[c] as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him (AG)to punish those who do evil and (AH)to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, (AI)that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 (AJ)Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but (AK)living as servants[d] of God. 17 (AL)Honor everyone. (AM)Love the brotherhood. (AN)Fear God. Honor the emperor.
18 (AO)Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.[e] 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, (AP)mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But (AQ)if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For (AR)to this you have been called, (AS)because Christ also suffered for you, (AT)leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 (AU)He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 (AV)When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, (AW)but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 (AX)He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we (AY)might die to sin and (AZ)live to righteousness. (BA)By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For (BB)you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to (BC)the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 2:7 Greek the head of the corner
- 1 Peter 2:13 Or every institution ordained for people
- 1 Peter 2:13 Or king; also verse 17
- 1 Peter 2:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
- 1 Peter 2:18 Or crooked
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
