Yearn For His Word So That You May Grow

2 Having then laid-aside all badness^[a], and all deceit and hypocrisies and jealousies, and all slanders— ² yearn like newborn babies for the deceitless^[b] milk of-the-Word^[c] in order that by it you may grow in^[d] [your] salvation, ³ if ^[e] you tasted that the Lord is good—

For You Are Being Built Upon The Living Cornerstone As a Holy Priesthood

⁴ ... coming to Whom as the living Stone having been rejected by people, but chosen, precious with God, ⁵ you yourselves also as living stones are being built^[f] as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Because it is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying a Stone in Zion— a chosen, precious Cornerstone. And the one putting-faith upon Him will never be put-to-shame” [Isa 28:16]. ⁷ The precious-value then is for you, the ones believing. But for ones not-believing: “The Stone which the ones building rejected, this became the head^[g] of the corner” [Ps 118:22] ⁸ and “a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of ^[h] falling” [Isa 8:14]— who stumble while^[i] disobeying the word, to which indeed they were appointed^[j].

And You Are Chosen By God To Report His Virtues To The World

⁹ And you are a chosen family^[k], a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may report the virtues^[l] of the One having called you out of darkness into His marvelous light— ¹⁰ who once were not a people, but now are the people of God; the ones not having received-mercy, but now having received-mercy.

Beloved, Keep Your Conduct Praiseworthy In The World So That God May Be Glorified

¹¹ Beloved, I exhort you as foreigners^[m] and pilgrims to be abstaining from fleshly desires which wage-war against the soul, ¹² holding your conduct good^[n] among the Gentiles in order that in what they are speaking-against you as evil-doers^[o], they may by observing your good works glorify God on the day of visitation^[p].

Be Subject To Human Institutions For The Lord’s Sake

¹³ Be subject to every human institution for the Lord’s sake— whether to a king as being superior, ¹⁴ or to governors as being sent by him^[q] for the punishment of evil-doers and praise of good-doers. ¹⁵ Because thus is the will of God, that while doing-good you may be silencing the ignorance of foolish people.

Honor Everyone

¹⁶ As^[r] free ones, and not having the freedom as a covering of evilness, but as slaves of God, ¹⁷ honor everyone: be loving the brotherhood^[s], be fearing God, be honoring the king;

Be Subject To Your Masters, Whether Good Or Bad, Following Christ’s Example

¹⁸ ... servants, being subject to your masters with all fear^[t], not only to the good and kind ones, but also to the crooked^[u] ones. ¹⁹ For this finds favor— if for the sake of a consciousness^[v] of God one bears-up^[w] while suffering sorrows unjustly. ²⁰ For what-kind-of credit^[x] is it if while sinning and being beaten, you will endure? But if while doing-good and suffering you will endure, this finds favor with God. ²¹ For you were called to this^[y]. Because Christ also suffered for you, leaving-behind a pattern for you in order that you might follow-after His footsteps—

Christ Suffered Unjustly, Entrusting Himself To God

²² ... Who “did not commit sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth” [Isa 53:9]; ²³ Who while being reviled, was not reviling-in-return; while suffering, was not threatening, but was committing Himself ^[z] to the One judging righteously; ²⁴ Who Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross in order that we, having died^[aa] to sins, might live for righteousness; by Whose bruise you were healed. ²⁵ For you were going-astray like sheep, but now you returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.