I Peter 2

¹Therfor putte ye awei al malice, and al gile, and feynyngis, and enuyes, and alle bacbityngis;

²as now borun yonge children, resonable, with out gile, coueite ye mylk, that in it ye wexe in to helthe; if netheles ye han tastid,

³that the Lord is swete.

⁴And neiye ye to hym, that is a lyuyng stoon, and repreuyd of men, but chosun of God, and onourid;

⁵and ye silf as quyk stoonys be ye aboue bildid in to spiritual housis, and an hooli preesthod, to offre spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God bi Jhesu Crist.

⁶For which thing the scripture seith, Lo! Y schal sette in Syon the hiyeste corner stoon, chosun and preciouse; and he that schal belieue in hym, schal not be confoundid.

⁷Therfor onour to you that bileuen; but to men that bileuen not, the stoon whom the bilderis repreuyden, this is maad in to the heed of the corner; and the stoon of hirtyng,

⁸and stoon of sclaundre, to hem that offenden to the word, nethir bileuen it, in which thei ben set.

⁹But ye ben a chosun kyn, a kyngli preesthod, hooli folc, a puple of purchasing, that ye telle the vertues of hym, that clepide you fro derknessis in to his wondirful liyt.

¹⁰Which sum tyme were not a puple of God, but now ye ben the puple of God; which hadden not merci, but now ye han merci.

¹¹Moost dere, Y biseche you, as comelyngis and pilgrymys, to absteine you fro fleischli desiris, that fiyten ayens the soule;

¹²and haue ye youre conuersacioun good among hethene men, that in that thing that thei bacbite of you, as of mysdoeris, thei biholden you of good werkis, and glorifie God in the dai of visitacioun.

¹³Be ye suget to ech creature, for God; ethir to the kyng, as to hym that is hiyer in state,

¹⁴ethir to duykis, as to thilke that ben sent of hym to the veniaunce of mysdoers, and to the preisyng of good men.

¹⁵For so is the wille of God, that ye do wel, and make the vnkunnyngnesse of vnprudent men to be doumb.

¹⁶As fre men, and not as hauynge fredom the keuering of malice, but as the seruauntis of God.

¹⁷Onoure ye alle men, loue ye brithirhod, drede ye God, onoure ye the king.

¹⁸Seruauntis, be ye sugetis in al drede to lordis, not oneli to good and to mylde, but also to tyrauntis.

¹⁹For this is grace, if for conscience of God ony man suffrith heuynessis, and suffrith vniustli.

²⁰For what grace is it, if ye synnen, and ben buffatid, and suffren? But if ye don wel, and suffren pacientli, this is grace anentis God.

²¹For to this thing ye ben clepid. For also Crist suffride for vs, and lefte ensaumple to you, that ye folewe the steppis of hym.

²²Which dide not synne, nethir gile was foundun in his mouth.

²³And whanne he was cursid, he curside not; whanne he suffride, he manasside not; but he bitook hym silf to hym, that demyde hym vniustli.

²⁴And he hym silf bar oure synnes in his bodi on a tre, that we be deed to synnes, and lyue to riytwisnesse, bi whos wan wounde ye ben heelid.

²⁵For ye weren as scheep errynge, but ye ben now turned to the schipherde, and bischop of youre soulis.

I Peter 2

¹Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

²As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

³If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

⁴To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

⁵Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

⁶Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

⁷Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

⁸And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

⁹But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

¹⁰Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

¹¹Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

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

¹³Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

¹⁴Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

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

¹⁶As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, 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 a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

²⁰For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

²¹For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

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

²³Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

²⁴Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

²⁵For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.