1 Peter 2
1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,
Therefore, do not act maliciously in any way or deceive others. Do not (be a hypocrite/try to make others think that you have qualities that you do not really have), and do not (envy/be jealous of) others. Do not ever slander anyone.
2 as newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk, that with it you may grow,
Just like newborn babies [long for their mothers’] pure milk [MET], you should long for [God’s] spiritual [truth], so that by learning it you may become [spiritually] mature. [You need to] do this until the day when God [will] free you completely [from all the evil in this world].
3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
[Also, you need to do this] because you have experienced that the Lord [acts in] a good way toward you.
4 Come to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious.
You have come to the Lord Jesus. He is [like an important] stone [MET] [put in the foundation of a building], [but he is] alive, [not lifeless like a stone]. He was rejected by [many] people {[Many] people rejected him}, but God chose him and [considers him] to be very precious.
5 You also as living stones are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
[And like men] build houses with stones [MET], [God] is causing you to be joined together into a group in which [God’s] Spirit [lives], in order that you, because of what Jesus Christ did for us, might, like priests who offer sacrifices, [do things] that are pleasing to God.
6 Because it is contained in Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen and precious. He who believes in him will not be disappointed.”
[What Isaiah wrote] in the Scriptures [shows us that this is true]. [He wrote these words that God said]: Note this well: I am placing in Jerusalem [MTY] [one who is like] [MET] an extremely valuable [DOU] (stone/cornerstone, the most important stone in the structure of a building), and those who believe in him will never be disappointed.
7 For you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,”
Therefore, [God will] honor you who believe in [Jesus]. But those who [refuse to] believe in him [are like the builders] that this Scripture [talks about]: The stone that the builders rejected has become (the cornerstone/the most important stone in the foundation of the building).
8 and, “a stumbling stone and a rock of offense.” For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed.
And [it is also written] {[Isaiah wrote]} in the Scriptures: [He will be like] a stone that causes people to stumble, like a rock that people trip over. [Just as people are injured when] they stumble over a rock, people who disobey the message [about Jesus are injured spiritually], and that is what [God] determined would happen to them.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
But you are people whom God has chosen [to belong to him]. You are [a group that represents God like] priests do, and you rule with God [MET] like kings. You are (a holy group of people/a group of people who are separate from evil). You are people who belong to God. This is in order that you might proclaim the virtues of [God. He has] called you from [your former ways], [when you were ignorant of his truth], into the marvelous [understanding that he gives us] [MET]. [That is, he has called you] out of [spiritual] darkness into [spiritual] light.
10 In the past, you were not a people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
[What the prophet Hosea wrote is true of you] Formerly, you were not a people [who had a relationship with God], But now you are God’s people. At one time [God] had not acted mercifully toward you, But now he has acted mercifully toward you.
11 Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
You people whom I love, I urge you to consider that you are like foreigners [MET, DOU] [whose real home is in heaven]. As a result, avoid doing the things that your self-directed nature desires, because those desires (fight against/always oppose) your souls.
12 having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God in the day of visitation.
Keep conducting your lives in a good way among those who do not know God. [If you do that], although they may accuse you, saying that you are people who do evil things, they will see your good behavior, and at the time when God comes [to judge people], they will (give honor to him/say that what he does is right).
13 Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme,
For the sake of the Lord [Jesus], submit yourselves to every human authority. That includes submitting yourselves to the king, who is the most important authority,
14 or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well.
and to governors, who are sent by the king {whom the king sends} to punish those who do what is wrong and to commend/honor those who do what is right.
15 For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.
What God wants is that by your doing [only] what is good you will cause foolish people who do not know [God] to be unable to say things ([to condemn you/to show you why you should be punished]).
16 Live as free people, yet not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.
Conduct your lives as though you were free [from having to obey authorities], but do not think “Because I am free from having to obey authorities, I can do evil things.” Instead, act as servants of God [should].
17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
Act respectfully toward everyone. Love all your fellow believers. Revere God, and honor the king.
18 Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked.
You slaves [who are believers], submit yourselves to your masters and completely respect them. Submit yourselves not only to those who [act in a] good and kind [DOU] way towards you, but also submit yourselves to those who [act in a] harsh way [towards you].
19 For it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God.
You should do that because God is pleased with those who, knowing that he is aware of what is happening to them, endure the pain that they suffer [because of being treated unjustly by their masters] {[their masters have treated them unjustly]}.
20 For what glory is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if when you do well, you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God.
God will certainly not [RHQ] be pleased with you if you do something that is wrong and as a result you are beaten {someone beats you}! But if, instead of doing something that is wrong, you do what is good, and as a result of that, you suffer for doing something that is good, and you endure that suffering, God will (commend/be pleased with) you.
21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps,
One of the reasons why God chose you is that you would [suffer]. When Christ suffered for you, he became an example for you, in order that you would (imitate what/do like) he did.
22 who did not sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.”
[Remember how Christ conducted himself]: He never sinned, And he never said [MTY] anything to deceive people.
23 When he was cursed, he did not curse back. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.
When people insulted him, he did not insult them in return. When people caused him to suffer, he did not threaten (to get revenge/to cause them to suffer). Instead, he decided to let God, who always judges justly, prove that he (was innocent/had done nothing that is wrong) (OR, he left his case in the hands of God, who always judges justly).
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds.
He himself endured physically the punishment for our sins when he died on the cross, in order that we would stop sinning (OR, no longer respond to sinful desires) and start living righteous lives. It is because he was wounded {they wounded him} that your [souls have been saved] [MET] [from being sinful, as people’s bodies] are healed [from being sick].
25 For you were going astray like sheep; but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Truly you were like sheep that had gone astray [SIM], but now you have returned to [Jesus], who cares for your souls [as] a shepherd [cares for his sheep] [MET].
