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The Living Stone and a Chosen People

So put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander. Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation; for you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God’s sight chosen and precious; and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

To you therefore who believe, he is precious, but for those who do not believe,

“The very stone which the builders rejected
has become the head of the corner,”

and

“A stone that will make men stumble,
a rock that will make them fall”;

for they stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people,[a] that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were no people but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.

Live as Servants of God

11 Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul. 12 Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,[b] whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing right you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God. 17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

The Example of Christ’s Suffering

18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to the kind and gentle but also to the overbearing. 19 For one is approved if, mindful of God, he endures pain while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it, if when you do wrong and are beaten for it you take it patiently? But if when you do right and suffer for it you take it patiently, you have God’s approval. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,[c] that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 2:9 Greek a people for his possession
  2. 1 Peter 2:13 Or every institution ordained for men
  3. 1 Peter 2:24 Or carried up . . . to the tree

As Living Stones, God’s Chosen Family

Therefore, (A)laying aside all [a]malice and all deceit and [b]hypocrisy and [c]envy and all [d](B)slander, (C)like newborn babies, long for the [e](D)pure [f]milk of the word, so that by it you may (E)grow [g]in respect to salvation, if you have (F)tasted [h](G)the kindness of the [i]Lord.

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been (H)rejected by men, but is [j]choice and precious in the sight of God, (I)you also, as living stones, [k]are being built up as a (J)spiritual house for a holy (K)priesthood, to (L)offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in [l]Scripture:

(M)Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a (N)precious corner stone,
And he who believes upon [m]Him will not be put to shame.”

(O)This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,

(P)The stone which the builders (Q)rejected,
This has become the chief corner stone,”

and,

(R)A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”

(S)They stumble because they are disobedient to the word, (T)and to this stumbling they were also appointed.

But you are (U)a chosen family, a royal (V)priesthood, a (W)holy nation, (X)a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you (Y)out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 (Z)for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11 (AA)Beloved, (AB)I urge you as (AC)sojourners and exiles to abstain from (AD)fleshly lusts which wage (AE)war against the soul, 12 (AF)by keeping your conduct excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing which they (AG)slander you as evildoers, they may [n]because of your good works, as they observe them, (AH)glorify God (AI)in the day of [o]visitation.

Be Subject to Authority

13 (AJ)Be subject for the sake of the Lord to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent [p]by him (AK)for the punishment of evildoers and the (AL)praise of those who do good. 15 For [q](AM)such is the will of God that by doing good you may (AN)silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Act as (AO)free people, and [r]do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as (AP)slaves of God. 17 (AQ)Honor all people, (AR)love the [s]brethren, (AS)fear God, (AT)honor the [t]king.

18 (AU)Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to those who are good and (AV)considerate, but also to those who are [u]crooked. 19 For this finds [v]favor, if for the sake of (AW)conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unrighteously. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure? But if (AX)when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this finds favor with God.

Christ, Our Example

21 For to this (AY)you have been called, (AZ)since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you (BA)an example that you should follow in His steps, 22 who (BB)did no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 who being (BC)reviled, was not reviling in return; while suffering, He was uttering no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. 24 Who Himself [w](BD)bore our sins in His body on the (BE)tree, so that (BF)having died to [x]sin, we might live to righteousness; (BG)by His [y]wounds you were (BH)healed. 25 For you were (BI)continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the (BJ)Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 2:1 Or wickedness
  2. 1 Peter 2:1 Plural nouns
  3. 1 Peter 2:1 Plural nouns
  4. 1 Peter 2:1 Plural nouns
  5. 1 Peter 2:2 Or unadulterated
  6. 1 Peter 2:2 Or spiritual (Gr logikos) milk
  7. 1 Peter 2:2 Or up to salvation
  8. 1 Peter 2:3 Lit that the Lord is kind
  9. 1 Peter 2:3 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Ps 34:8
  10. 1 Peter 2:4 Or elect; lit chosen
  11. 1 Peter 2:5 Or allow yourselves to be built up, build yourselves up
  12. 1 Peter 2:6 Or a scripture
  13. 1 Peter 2:6 Or it
  14. 1 Peter 2:12 Or as a result of
  15. 1 Peter 2:12 Christ’s coming again in judgment
  16. 1 Peter 2:14 Lit through
  17. 1 Peter 2:15 Lit so
  18. 1 Peter 2:16 Lit not having
  19. 1 Peter 2:17 Or brotherhood
  20. 1 Peter 2:17 Or emperor
  21. 1 Peter 2:18 Or unreasonable
  22. 1 Peter 2:19 Or grace
  23. 1 Peter 2:24 Or carried...up to the cross
  24. 1 Peter 2:24 Lit sins
  25. 1 Peter 2:24 Or bruise; lit wound