1 Peter 2
EasyEnglish Bible
2 So you must refuse to do any evil things. Do not tell lies to deceive people. Do not be hypocrites. Do not be jealous of other people. Do not say bad things against other people. 2 Instead, you should want to learn about God more and more. New babies always want their mothers' milk, which makes them grow strong. God's true message is like good food that will make you strong in your spirits. Then you will continue to grow as believers so that God saves you. 3 Do this, because you have already begun to know how kind the Lord is to you.
Jesus is like the most important stone in God's house
4 So come to the Lord Jesus. He is like a big stone that a builder uses to build a house. But he is alive. People decided that he was not important. So they refused him. But God had chosen him. To God, Jesus is very valuable. 5 You yourselves are also like stones that are alive. God is using you, like stones, to build a house where his Spirit lives. You will serve him like his special priests who offer sacrifices to him. God will be happy with the spiritual offerings that you give to him, because you belong to Jesus Christ.[a]
6 In the Bible, God says this:
‘Look, I have chosen a stone that is very valuable.
I have chosen this stone as the most important stone,
for the corner of my house in Zion.[b]
Anyone who believes in him will never be disappointed.’[c]
7 This stone is very valuable to you who believe in Jesus. But the Bible says this about people who do not believe in him:
‘The builders refused to use a certain stone.
They thought that it had no value.
But now that stone has become the most important stone at the corner of the building.’[d]
8 The Bible also says this:
‘This stone will cause people to fall to the ground.
It is a rock that will make them fall down.’[e]
They fall down like that because they refuse to obey God's message. God already decided that this would happen to them.
9 But you are not like that. You are a special group of people that God has chosen. You serve God like priests who serve a King. You are his own holy people who belong to him. He has taken you out of the dark place of sin, and he has brought you into his great light. He has done all this so that you can tell people how great he is. 10 In past times, you were not people who knew God. But now you are God's people. In past times, God did not forgive you. But now he has been very kind to you and he has forgiven you.[f]
11 My friends, remember that you are really strangers in this world. You do not belong here. So I am telling you not to do the bad things that your bodies may want to do. Those bad things fight against what is good for your soul. 12 You are living among people who do not know God. So be very careful that you always live in a good way. Sometimes these people may wrongly say that you do bad things. But if you continue to live in a good way, they will see that you really do good things. As a result, on the day when God comes as judge, they will give honour to him.
Obey people who have authority over you
13 Obey all people who have authority in this world. Obey them, because you are servants of the Lord Jesus. First of all, obey the king, who rules everyone. 14 Also obey the officers that serve the king. He has sent them to punish people who do bad things. And they praise people who do good things. 15 God wants you to do only what is good. Then silly people will not be able to say bad things against you. Those people do not really know what is true.
16 You are free people. But you are servants of God. So do not think, ‘Because I am free, I can do any bad thing that I want to do.’ 17 Respect all people. Love the believers as you would love your family. Obey God as your master. Respect the king.
18 You who are slaves must obey your masters. Always respect them. Do that to every kind of master. Obey those who are good and kind. But also obey masters who are not fair to you. 19 This makes God happy. Maybe your master will punish you when you have done nothing wrong. If you know that you are serving God, continue to be patient and brave. 20 But if you do something wrong, then your master ought to punish you. That is only fair. Even if you are brave when he is cruel to you, nobody should praise you for that. But your master may punish you even when you have done good things. Then God will be happy if you are patient and brave. 21 When God chose you to be his servants, he wanted you to be brave like that. Christ had trouble and pain on your behalf. He has shown you how you should live when trouble comes. 22 The Bible says this:
‘He never did anything that was wrong.
He never said anything that was not true.’
23 People insulted Christ, but he did not say any bad thing to answer them. People caused him to have trouble, but he never tried to hurt them in return. Instead, Christ trusted God to help him. He knew that God always judges people fairly. 24 When Christ died on the cross, he carried our sins in his own body.[g] He took this punishment so that sin would no longer rule over us. Instead, we can now do the right things that God wants us to do. Because people hurt Christ's body, you have now become well.[h] 25 Before, you were like sheep that were going the wrong way. But now you have turned round and come to Christ. He is your Shepherd, and he keeps you completely safe.
Footnotes
- 2:5 In God's house in Jerusalem, Israel's priests offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. The sacrifices were special gifts to thank God, or to show that the people were sorry. They were sorry about the wrong things that they had done. We offer ‘spiritual sacrifices’ to God when we obey him completely. We choose always to believe God. We thank him. We do good things, to help other people. These are the kind of ‘spiritual sacrifices’ that we offer.
- 2:6 Zion is another name for the city of Jerusalem, either on earth or in heaven. Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, was the place where the Israelites built the Temple.
- 2:6 See Isaiah 28:16.
- 2:7 See Psalms 118:22. Many years before Jesus lived on the earth, the Israelites built a special house for God. See 1 Kings 6—8. The stone at the corner of the house was the most important stone. It made the whole building strong and safe. It was the first stone that the builders put into its place. Then they put other stones next to it and above it, to build the walls. It was a big, square stone with very straight sides. So it made all the walls of the house straight and strong. Jesus is like the stone at the corner of God's house. God's true house is a spiritual house. God builds his true house with people who belong to Jesus Christ.
- 2:8 See Isaiah 8:14.
- 2:10 See Hosea 1:6; 1:9; 2:23.
- 2:24 See Isaiah 53:4,12.
- 2:24 ‘Well’ means that we become well in our spirits.
彼得前书 2
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
信徒像活石被建造成靈宮
2 所以要除去一切惡毒、一切詭詐、虛偽、嫉妒和一切毀謗的話， 2 像初生嬰孩愛慕那純淨的靈奶，好叫你們靠它長大，進入救恩； 3 因為你們已經體驗過主是美善的。 4 主是活石，雖然被人棄絕，卻是 神所揀選所珍貴的；你們到他面前來， 5 也就像活石，被建造成為靈宮，作聖潔的祭司，藉著耶穌基督獻上蒙 神悅納的靈祭。 6 因為經上記著：
“看哪，我在錫安放了一塊石頭，
就是所揀選所珍貴的房角石，
信靠他的人，必不致失望。”
7 所以這石頭，對你們信的人是寶貴的，但對那不信的人，卻是
“建築工人所棄的石頭，
成了房角的主要石頭。”
8 它又
“作了絆腳的石頭，
使人跌倒的磐石。”
他們跌倒是因為不順從這道，他們這樣是必然的。
9 然而你們是蒙揀選的族類，是君尊的祭司，是聖潔的國民，是屬 神的子民，為要叫你們宣揚那召你們出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。
10 “你們從前不是子民，
現在卻是 神的子民；
從前未蒙憐恤，
現在卻蒙了憐恤。”
應當品行端正
11 親愛的，我勸你們作客旅和寄居的人，要禁戒肉體的私慾，這私慾是與靈魂爭戰的。 12 你們在教外人中，應當品行端正，使那些人，雖然毀謗你們是作惡的，但因為看見你們的好行為，就要在鑒察的日子頌讚 神。
13 你們為主的緣故，要順服人的一切制度，無論是至尊的君王， 14 或是君王所派賞善罰惡的官員； 15 因為這是 神的旨意，要藉著你們的善行，塞住糊塗無知人的口。 16 你們是自由的人，但不要用自由來掩飾邪惡，總要像 神的僕人。 17 要尊重眾人，愛護弟兄，敬畏 神，尊敬君王。
基督受苦的榜樣
18 你們作僕人的，要凡事敬畏順服主人，不單是對善良溫和的，就是乖僻的也要順服。 19 因為人若在 神面前為良心的緣故，忍受冤屈的苦楚，是有福的。 20 你們若因犯罪受責打而能忍耐，有甚麼可誇的呢？但你們若因行善而受苦，能忍耐，在 神看來，這是有福的。 21 你們就是為此蒙召，因基督也為你們受過苦，給你們留下榜樣，叫你們跟隨他的腳蹤行。
22 “他從來沒有犯過罪，
口裡也找不到詭詐。”
23 他被罵的時候不還嘴，受苦的時候也不說恐嚇的話；只把自己交託給那公義的審判者。 24 他在木頭上親身擔當了我們的罪，使我們既然不活在罪中，就可以為義而活。因他受的鞭傷，你們就得了醫治。 25 你們從前好像迷路的羊，但現在已經回到你們靈魂的牧人和監督那裡了。
1 Peter 2
New King James Version
Our Inheritance Through Christ’s Blood
2 Therefore, (A)laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 (B)as newborn babes, desire the pure (C)milk of the word, that you may grow [a]thereby, 3 if indeed you have (D)tasted that the Lord is gracious.
The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People(E)
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, (F)rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,
(G)“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who [b]are disobedient,
(H)“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”
8 and
(I)“A stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense.”
(J)They stumble, being disobedient to the word, (K)to which they also were appointed.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of (L)darkness into His marvelous light; 10 (M)who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Living Before the World
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts (N)which war against the soul, 12 (O)having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, (P)they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submission to Government(Q)
13 (R)Therefore submit yourselves to every [c]ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 (S)as free, yet not (T)using liberty as a cloak for [d]vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear (U)God. Honor the king.
Submission to Masters(V)
18 (W)Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is (X)commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For (Y)what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For (Z)to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for [e]us, (AA)leaving [f]us an example, that you should follow His steps:
22 “Who(AB) committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
23 (AC)who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but (AD)committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 (AE)who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, (AF)that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—(AG)by whose [g]stripes you were healed. 25 For (AH)you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned (AI)to the Shepherd and [h]Overseer of your souls.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 2:2 NU adds up to salvation
- 1 Peter 2:7 NU disbelieve
- 1 Peter 2:13 institution
- 1 Peter 2:16 wickedness
- 1 Peter 2:21 NU you
- 1 Peter 2:21 NU, M you
- 1 Peter 2:24 wounds
- 1 Peter 2:25 Gr. Episkopos
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Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
