The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone^(A)—rejected by humans but chosen by God^(B) and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built^(C) into a spiritual house^[a](D) to be a holy priesthood,^(E) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.^{(F) 6} For in Scripture it says:

⁷ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,^(I)

⁸ and,

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

⁹ But you are a chosen people,^(N) a royal priesthood,^(O) a holy nation,^(P) God’s special possession,^(Q) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.^{(R) 10} Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;^(S) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

² who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge^(A) of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,^(B) to be obedient^(C) to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:^(D)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.^(E)

Praise to God for a Living Hope

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!^(F) In his great mercy^(G) he has given us new birth^(H) into a living hope^(I) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,^(J)

²³ For you have been born again,^(A) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,^(B) through the living and enduring word of God.^(C)

¹⁴ As obedient^(A) children, do not conform^(B) to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.^{(C) 15} But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;^{(D) 16} for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”^[a](E)

³ For you have spent enough time in the past^(A) doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.^{(B) 4} They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.^{(C) 5} But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.^(D)

¹⁸ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed^(A) from the empty way of life^(B) handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood^(C) of Christ, a lamb^(D) without blemish or defect.^(E)

The Parable of the Tenants^(A)

³³ “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted^(B) a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower.^(C) Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.^{(D) 34} When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants^(E) to the tenants to collect his fruit.

³⁵ “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.^{(F) 36} Then he sent other servants^(G) to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. ³⁷ Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

³⁸ “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir.^(H) Come, let’s kill him^(I) and take his inheritance.’^{(J) 39} So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

⁴⁰ “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

⁴¹ “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,”^(K) they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants,^(L) who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

⁴³ “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you^(N) and given to a people who will produce its fruit. ⁴⁴ Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”^[b](O)

⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. ⁴⁶ They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.^(P)

⁵ Now if you obey me fully^(A) and keep my covenant,^(B) then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.^(C) Although the whole earth^(D) is mine, ⁶ you^[a] will be for me a kingdom of priests^(E) and a holy nation.’^(F) These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”