A Living Stone and a Holy People

1Therefore having put away all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all slanders,

2as newborn babes, desire the genuine milk of the word, that by it you may grow,

3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4Coming to Him as to a living stone, having been rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,

5you also, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6For it is also contained in the Scripture,
“Behold, I place in Zion
a chief cornerstone, chosen, precious,
and he who believes on Him shall by no means be put to shame.”

7Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,
“The stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone,”

8and “a stone of stumbling
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellent virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

10who formerly were not a people but now are the people of God, who had not received mercy, but now have received mercy.

Living Before the World

11Beloved, I implore you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from the lusts of the flesh which war against the soul;

12having your manner of life noble among the Gentiles, so that, whenever they speak against you as evildoers, when they observe the good works, they may glorify God in the day of visitation.

Submission to Government

13Therefore subject yourselves to every human institution on account of the Lord: whether to the king as to one having authority,

14or to governors, as to those being sent for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those doing good.

15For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may silence the ignorance of foolish men—

16as free, yet not using freedom as a cover for wickedness, but as bondservants of God.

17Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Submission to Masters

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

19For this is admirable, if because of conscience toward God someone endures pain, suffering unjustly.

20For what glory is it, if when you sin and are beaten, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this is admirable before God.

21For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving behind an example for you, that you should follow in His footsteps,

22“Who committed no sin,
nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

23who, being verbally abused, did not return verbal insults, when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

24who Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, in order that having died to sins, we might live unto righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

25For you were like sheep going astray, but you have turned back now to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.