1 Peter 2
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Living Stone and a Holy People
2 So rid yourselves of(A) all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.(B) 2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk,(C) so that you may grow by it for your salvation,[a] 3 since you have tasted(D) that the Lord is good.(E)[b] 4 Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God— 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God(F) through Jesus Christ. 6 For it is contained in Scripture:
Look! I lay a stone in Zion,(G)
a chosen and honored[c] cornerstone,[d](H)
and the one who believes in Him
will never be put to shame[f]
7 So honor will come to you who believe, but for the unbelieving,
8 and
They stumble because they disobey the message; they were destined(L) for this.
9 But you are a chosen race,[k](M)[l] a royal priesthood,(N)[m]
a holy nation,(O)[n] a people for His possession,(P)[o]
so that you may proclaim the praises[p](Q)[q]
of the One who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light.(R)
10 Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
you had not received mercy,(S)
but now you have received mercy.
A Call to Good Works
11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents(T) to abstain(U) from fleshly(V) desires that war against you.[r](W) 12 Conduct(X) yourselves honorably among the Gentiles,[s] so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation.[t](Y)
13 Submit(Z) to every human authority[u] because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor[v] as the supreme authority(AA) 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will(AB) that you silence the ignorance(AC) of foolish people by doing good. 16 As God’s slaves,(AD) live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil.(AE) 17 Honor everyone. Love(AF) the brotherhood.(AG) Fear God.(AH) Honor the Emperor.[w]
Submission of Slaves to Masters
18 Household slaves, submit with all fear(AI) to your masters,(AJ) not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel.[x](AK) 19 For it brings favor[y] if, mindful of God’s will,[z][aa] someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer,(AL) if you endure it, this brings favor with God.
21 For you were called to this,
because Christ also suffered(AM) for you,
leaving you an example,(AN)
so that you should follow(AO) in His steps.
22 He did not commit sin,(AP)
and no deceit(AQ) was found in His mouth;(AR)[ab]
23 when He was reviled,
He did not revile in return;
when He was suffering,
He did not threaten
but entrusted Himself to the One who judges(AS) justly.
24 He Himself bore our sins(AT)
in His body(AU) on the tree,(AV)
so that, having died to sins,(AW)
we might live for righteousness;(AX)
you have been healed by His wounds.(AY)[ac]
25 For you were like sheep going astray,(AZ)[ad]
but you have now returned
to the Shepherd(BA) and Guardian[ae] of your souls.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 2:2 Other mss omit in your salvation
- 1 Peter 2:3 Ps 34:8
- 1 Peter 2:6 Or valuable
- 1 Peter 2:6 Lit head of the corner
- 1 Peter 2:6 Or be disappointed
- 1 Peter 2:6 Is 28:16 LXX
- 1 Peter 2:7 Ps 118:22
- 1 Peter 2:8 Or a stone causing stumbling
- 1 Peter 2:8 Or a rock to trip over
- 1 Peter 2:8 Is 8:14
- 1 Peter 2:9 Or generation, or nation
- 1 Peter 2:9 Dt 7:6; 10:15; Is 43:20 LXX
- 1 Peter 2:9 Ex 19:6; 23:22 LXX; Is 61:6
- 1 Peter 2:9 Ex 19:6; 23:22 LXX
- 1 Peter 2:9 Ex 19:5; 23:22 LXX; Dt 4:20; 7:6; Is 43:21 LXX
- 1 Peter 2:9 Or the mighty deeds
- 1 Peter 2:9 Is 42:12; 43:21
- 1 Peter 2:11 Or against the soul
- 1 Peter 2:12 Or among the nations, or among the pagans
- 1 Peter 2:12 The day when God intervenes in human history, either in grace or in judgment
- 1 Peter 2:13 Or creature
- 1 Peter 2:13 Lit king
- 1 Peter 2:17 Lit king
- 1 Peter 2:18 Or unscrupulous; lit crooked
- 1 Peter 2:19 Other mss add with God
- 1 Peter 2:19 Other mss read if, because of a good conscience
- 1 Peter 2:19 Lit if, because of conscience toward God
- 1 Peter 2:22 Is 53:9
- 1 Peter 2:24 Is 53:5
- 1 Peter 2:25 Is 53:6
- 1 Peter 2:25 Or Overseer
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
1 Peter 2
Good News Translation
The Living Stone and the Holy Nation
2 Rid yourselves, then, of all evil; no more lying or hypocrisy or jealousy or insulting language. 2 Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow up and be saved. 3 (A)As the scripture says, “You have found out for yourselves how kind the Lord is.”
4 Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable. 5 Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. 6 (B)For the scripture says,
“I chose a valuable stone,
which I am placing as the cornerstone in Zion;
and whoever believes in him will never be disappointed.”
7 (C)This stone is of great value for you that believe; but for those who do not believe:
“The stone which the builders rejected as worthless
turned out to be the most important of all.”
8 (D)And another scripture says,
“This is the stone that will make people stumble,
the rock that will make them fall.”
They stumbled because they did not believe in the word; such was God's will for them.
9 (E)But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light. 10 (F)At one time you were not God's people, but now you are his people; at one time you did not know God's mercy, but now you have received his mercy.
Slaves of God
11 I appeal to you, my friends, as strangers and refugees in this world! Do not give in to bodily passions, which are always at war against the soul. 12 Your conduct among the heathen should be so good that when they accuse you of being evildoers, they will have to recognize your good deeds and so praise God on the Day of his coming.
13 For the sake of the Lord submit yourselves to every human authority: to the Emperor, who is the supreme authority, 14 and to the governors, who have been appointed by him to punish the evildoers and to praise those who do good. 15 For God wants you to silence the ignorant talk of foolish people by the good things you do. 16 Live as free people; do not, however, use your freedom to cover up any evil, but live as God's slaves. 17 Respect everyone, love other believers, honor God, and respect the Emperor.
The Example of Christ's Suffering
18 You servants must submit yourselves to your masters and show them complete respect, not only to those who are kind and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 God will bless you for this, if you endure the pain of undeserved suffering because you are conscious of his will. 20 For what credit is there if you endure the beatings you deserve for having done wrong? But if you endure suffering even when you have done right, God will bless you for it. 21 It was to this that God called you, for Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps. 22 (G)He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie come from his lips. 23 (H)When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judge. 24 (I)Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that you have been healed. 25 You were like sheep that had lost their way, but now you have been brought back to follow the Shepherd and Keeper of your souls.
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