Book of Common Prayer

He exhorts the people to lay aside all vice, shows that Christ is the foundation they have built upon, and prays them to abstain from fleshly lusts and to obey worldly rulers. How servants should conduct themselves toward their masters. He exhorts them to suffer after the example of Christ.

2 Therefore, lay aside all vice, and all guile and dissimulation and envy, and all backbiting. ² And as newborn babes, desire the milk (not of the body, but of the soul) that is without corruption, so that you may grow therein – ³ if it so be that you have tasted that the Lord is sweet, ⁴ to whom you come as to a living stone, rejected by men, but chosen by God, and precious.

⁵ And you, as living stones, are made a spiritual house, and a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Of this it is contained in the scripture: Behold, I put in Zion a head cornerstone, elect and precious; and he that believes on him shall not be ashamed.

⁷ To you therefore who believe, he is precious. But to those who do not believe, the stone which the builders refused is made the head stone in the corner, ⁸ and a stone to stumble at, and a rock to offend those who stumble at the word and do not believe that whereon they were set.

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and his own special people, in order that you should show forth the virtues of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light – ¹⁰ you who in time past were not a people, yet are now the people of God; who were not under mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ And moreover I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

²⁵ When his disciples heard that, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? ²⁶ Jesus regarded them and said to them, With men it is not possible, but with God all things are possible.

²⁷ Then Peter answered and said to him, Behold, we have left everything and followed you. What will we have?

²⁸ Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, when the Son of man sits in the seat of his majesty, you who have followed me in the new birth shall sit also upon twelve seats and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And whosoever gives up houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name’s sake, the same shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. ³⁰ Many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first.