Be Holy

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,(A) set your hope(B) on the grace to be brought to you(C) when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.(D) 14 As obedient(E) children, do not conform(F) to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.(G) 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;(H) 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”[a](I)

17 Since you call on a Father(J) who judges each person’s work(K) impartially,(L) live out your time as foreigners(M) here in reverent fear.(N) 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed(O) from the empty way of life(P) handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood(Q) of Christ, a lamb(R) without blemish or defect.(S) 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world,(T) but was revealed in these last times(U) for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God,(V) who raised him from the dead(W) and glorified him,(X) and so your faith and hope(Y) are in God.

22 Now that you have purified(Z) yourselves by obeying(AA) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,(AB) from the heart.[b] 23 For you have been born again,(AC) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,(AD) through the living and enduring word of God.(AE) 24 For,

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25     but the word of the Lord endures forever.”[c](AF)

And this is the word that was preached to you.

Therefore, rid yourselves(AG) of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander(AH) of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,(AI) so that by it you may grow up(AJ) in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.(AK)

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

As you come to him, the living Stone(AL)—rejected by humans but chosen by God(AM) and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built(AN) into a spiritual house[d](AO) to be a holy priesthood,(AP) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.(AQ) For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,(AR)
and the one who trusts in him
    will never be put to shame.”[e](AS)

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,(AT)

“The stone the builders rejected(AU)
    has become the cornerstone,”[f](AV)

and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.”[g](AW)

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.(AX)

But you are a chosen people,(AY) a royal priesthood,(AZ) a holy nation,(BA) God’s special possession,(BB) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.(BC) 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;(BD) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 1:16 Lev. 11:44,45; 19:2
  2. 1 Peter 1:22 Some early manuscripts from a pure heart
  3. 1 Peter 1:25 Isaiah 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)
  4. 1 Peter 2:5 Or into a temple of the Spirit
  5. 1 Peter 2:6 Isaiah 28:16
  6. 1 Peter 2:7 Psalm 118:22
  7. 1 Peter 2:8 Isaiah 8:14

13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.