1 Peter 2-3

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:

⁷ So the honor is for you who ^(M)believe, but for those who ^(N)do not believe,

⁸ and

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. 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.

Wives and Husbands

3 Likewise, wives, ^(BD)be subject to your own husbands, so that ^(BE)even if some do not obey the word, ^(BF)they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, ² when they see your ^(BG)respectful and pure conduct. ^3 (BH)Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— ⁴ but let your adorning be ^(BI)the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. ⁵ For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, ⁶ as Sarah obeyed Abraham, ^(BJ)calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and ^(BK)do not fear anything that is frightening.

⁷ Likewise, ^(BL)husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker ^(BM)vessel, since they are heirs with you^[e] of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Suffering for Righteousness' Sake

⁸ Finally, all of you, ^(BN)have unity of mind, sympathy, ^(BO)brotherly love, ^(BP)a tender heart, and ^(BQ)a humble mind. ^9 (BR)Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, ^(BS)bless, for ^(BT)to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. ¹⁰ For

¹³ Now ^(BV)who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? ^14 (BW)But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. ^(BX)Have no fear of them, ^(BY)nor be troubled, ¹⁵ but ^(BZ)in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, ^(CA)always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and ^(CB)respect, ^16 (CC)having a good conscience, so that, ^(CD)when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷ For ^(CE)it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

¹⁸ For Christ also ^(CF)suffered^{[f] (CG)}once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, ^(CH)that he might bring us to God, being put to death ^(CI)in the flesh but made alive ^(CJ)in the spirit, ¹⁹ in which^[g] he went and ^(CK)proclaimed^[h] to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ because^[i] they formerly did not obey, ^(CL)when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, ^(CM)while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, ^(CN)eight persons, were brought safely through water. ²¹ Baptism, which corresponds to this, ^(CO)now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but ^(CP)as an appeal to God for a good conscience, ^(CQ)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and ^(CR)is at the right hand of God, ^(CS)with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.