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But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,[a] a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

10 “Once you had no identity as a people;
    now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
    now you have received God’s mercy.”[b]

11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. 2:9 Greek a royal priesthood.
  2. 2:10 Hos 1:6, 9; 2:23.
  3. 2:12 Or on the day of visitation.

But you are a chosen people,(A) a royal priesthood,(B) a holy nation,(C) God’s special possession,(D) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.(E) 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;(F) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

11 Dear friends,(G) I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,(H) to abstain from sinful desires,(I) which wage war against your soul.(J) 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds(K) and glorify God(L) on the day he visits us.

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