Book of Common Prayer

² Babies who have just been born want milk very much. In the same way, you should want God's word. That is like good milk. It will make you grow up so that you will then be fully saved.

³ You should want God's word if you have already tasted and know that the Lord is good.

⁴ Come to the Lord Jesus. He is like a living stone. People did not want to use it. But God chose it. It was worth very much to him.

⁵ You also are like living stones. You are being built into a temple, a holy place for God. You are to be holy priests there. You are to give sacrifices to God from your heart. God will accept them because of Jesus Christ.

⁶ The holy writings say, `Listen, I am placing a stone in Zion. It is the main stone of the house. I have chosen it and it is worth very much. Anyone who believes in him will not be ashamed.'

⁷ He is worth very much to you who believe in him. But some people do not believe in him. To them he is, `the stone that the men who were building would not use. But now it is the chief stone at the corner.'

⁸ And to them he is also, `a stone on which people will hit their feet, and a rock that will make them fall down.' They hit their feet on it, because they do not obey the word. It was planned that this would happen to them!

⁹ But you are a chosen people. You are priests to your king. You are a holy nation. You are God's very own people. All this is so that you will tell how good he is. He called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

¹⁰ At one time you were not God's people. But now you are God's people. At one time you did not know God's kindness. Now you do.

14 Jesus said, `Do not let anything trouble your heart. You believe in God and you must believe in me also.

² In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to make a place ready for you.

³ If I go to make a place ready for you, I will come again. I will come to take you so that you may be with me.

⁴ You know where I am going, and you know the way.

⁵ Thomas said to Jesus, `Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?'

⁶ Jesus said to him, `I am the way. I am the truth. I give life. No one can come to my Father unless I take him there.

⁷ If you knew me, you would have known my Father also. But from now on you do know him because you have seen him.'