1 Peter 2
Lexham English Bible
Chosen as Living Stones
2 Therefore, ridding yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn infants long for the unadulterated spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation, 3 if you have tasted that the Lord is kind,[a] 4 to whom you are drawing near, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and precious in the sight of God. 5 And you yourselves, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[b]
7 Therefore the honor is for you who believe, but for those who refuse to believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected,
this one has become the cornerstone[c],”
8 and
“A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,”[d]
who stumble because they[e] disobey the word to which also they were consigned. 9 But you are a chosen race,[f] a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s possession, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, 10 who once were not a people, but now are the people of God, the ones who were not shown mercy, but now are shown mercy.[g]
11 Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires which wage war against your[h] soul, 12 maintaining your good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in the things in which they slander you as evildoers, by seeing your good deeds they may glorify God on the day of visitation.
Submission to Established Authority
13 Subject yourselves to every human authority for the sake of the Lord, whether to a king[i] as having supreme authority, 14 or to governors as those sent out by him for the punishment of those who do evil and the praise of those who do good. 15 For the will of God is as follows: by[j] doing good to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as free persons, and not using your[k] freedom as a covering for evil, but as slaves of God. 17 Honor all people, love the community of believers, fear God, honor the king.[l]
18 Domestic slaves, be subject to your[m] masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unjust. 19 For this finds favor, if because of consciousness of God someone endures sorrows while[n] suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you[o] sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if you endure when you[p] do good and suffer for it, this finds favor with God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his footsteps, 22 who did not commit sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth,[q] 23 who when he[r] was reviled, did not revile in return; when[s] suffering, he did not threaten, but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly, 24 who himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we may die to sins and live to righteousness, by whose wounds you were healed. 25 For you were going astray like sheep, but you have turned back now to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 2:3 A quotation from Ps 34:8
- 1 Peter 2:6 A quotation from Isa 28:16
- 1 Peter 2:7 Literally “into the head of the corner”
- 1 Peter 2:8 A quotation from Isa 8:14
- 1 Peter 2:8 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“disobey”) which is understood as causal
- 1 Peter 2:9 Or “people,” or “generation,” or “nation”
- 1 Peter 2:10 This verse contains quotations from Hos 1:6, 9; 2:23
- 1 Peter 2:11 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- 1 Peter 2:13 Or “to the emperor”
- 1 Peter 2:15 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“doing good”) which is understood as means
- 1 Peter 2:16 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- 1 Peter 2:17 Or “the emperor”
- 1 Peter 2:18 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- 1 Peter 2:19 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the participle (“suffering”) which is understood as temporal
- 1 Peter 2:20 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“sin”) which is understood as temporal
- 1 Peter 2:20 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“do good”) which is understood as temporal
- 1 Peter 2:22 This verse contains quotations from Isa 53:9
- 1 Peter 2:23 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was reviled”) which is understood as temporal
- 1 Peter 2:23 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“suffering”) which is understood as temporal
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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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
