I Peter 2

¹Now that you have done with all malice, all deceitfulness, insincerity, jealous feelings, and all backbiting,

²like newly born infants, crave pure spiritual milk, so that you may be enabled by it to grow until you attain salvation –

³since ‘you have found by experience that the Lord is kind.’

⁴Come to him, then, as to a living stone, rejected, indeed, by men, but in God’s eyes choice and precious;

⁵and, as living stones, form yourselves into a spiritual house, to be a consecrated priesthood, for the offering of spiritual sacrifices that will be acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

⁶For there is a passage of scripture that runs – ‘See, I am placing in Zion a choice and precious cornerstone; and those who believe in him will have no cause for shame.’

⁷It is to you, then, who believe in him that he is precious, but to those who do not believe he is ‘a stone which, though rejected by the builders, has now itself become the corner-stone,’

⁸and ‘a stumbling-block, and a rock which will prove a hindrance.’ They stumble because they do not accept the message. This was the fate destined for them.

⁹But you are ‘a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, God’s own people,’ entrusted with the proclamation of the goodness of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

¹⁰Once you were ‘not a people,’ but now you are ‘God’s people’; once you ‘had not found mercy,’ but now you ‘have found mercy.’ Practical Appeals in view of the Dangers of the Times.

¹¹Dear friends, I beg you, as pilgrims and strangers on earth, to refrain from indulging the cravings of your earthly nature, for they make war on the soul.

¹²Let your daily life among the Gentiles be so upright, that, whenever they malign you as evildoers, they may learn, as they watch, from the uprightness of your conduct, to praise God ‘at the time when he will visit them.’

¹³Submit to all human institutions for the Lord’s sake, alike to the emperor as the supreme authority,

¹⁴and to governors as sent by him to punish evildoers and to commend those who do right.

¹⁵For God’s will is this – that you should silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing what is right.

¹⁶Act as free people, yet not using your freedom as those do who make it a cloak for wickedness, but as Servants of God.

¹⁷Show honor to everyone, love the Lord’s followers, ‘revere God, honor the emperor.’

¹⁸Those of you who are domestic servants should always be submissive and respectful to their masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are arbitrary.

¹⁹For this wins God’s approval when, because conscious of God’s presence, a person who is suffering unjustly bears their troubles patiently.

²⁰What credit can you claim when, after doing wrong, you take your punishment for it patiently? But, on the other hand, if, after doing right, you take your sufferings patiently, that does win the approval of God.

²¹For it was to this that you were called! For Christ, too, suffered – on your behalf – and left you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

²²He ‘never sinned, nor was anything deceitful ever heard from his lips.’

²³He was abused, but he did not answer with abuse; he suffered, but he did not threaten; he entrusted himself to him whose judgments are just.

²⁴And he ‘himself carried our sins’ in his own body to the cross, so that we might die to our sins, and live for righteousness. ‘His bruising was your healing.’

²⁵Once you were straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

I Peter 2

¹Wherefore laying away all malice and all guile and dissimulations and envies and all detractions,

²As newborn babes, desire the rational milk without guile, that thereby you may grow unto salvation:

³If so be you have tasted that the Lord is sweet.

⁴Unto whom coming, as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen and made honourable by God:

⁵Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

⁶Wherefore it is said in the scripture: Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious. And he that shall believe in him shall not be confounded.

⁷To you therefore that believe, he is honour: but to them that believe not, the stone which the builders rejected, the same is made the head of the corner:

⁸And a stone of stumbling and a rock of scandal, to them who stumble at the word, neither do believe, whereunto also they are set.

⁹But you are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people: that you may declare his virtues, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

¹⁰Who in times past were not a people: but are now the people of God. Who had not obtained mercy: but now have obtained mercy.

¹¹Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, to refrain yourselves from carnal desires which war against the soul,

¹²Having your conversation good among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by the good works which they shall behold in you, glorify God in the day of visitation.

¹³Be ye subject therefore to every human creature for God's sake: whether it be to the king as excelling,

¹⁴Or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of the good.

¹⁵For so is the will of God, that by doing well you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

¹⁶As free and not as making liberty a cloak for malice, but as the servants of God.

¹⁷Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

¹⁸Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward.

¹⁹For this is thankworthy: if, for conscience towards God, a man endure sorrows, suffering wrongfully.

²⁰For what glory is it, if, committing sin and being buffeted for it, you endure? But if doing well you suffer patiently: this is thankworthy before God.

²¹For unto this are you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow his steps.

²²Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.

²³Who, when he was reviled, did not revile: when he suffered, he threatened not, but delivered himself to him that judged him unjustly.

²⁴Who his own self bore our sins in his body upon the tree: that we, being dead to sins, should live to justice: by whose stripes you were healed.

²⁵For you were as sheep going astray: but you are now converted to the shepherd and bishop of your souls.