1 Peter 2

1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,

Rid yourselves therefore of all ill-will and all deceitfulness, of insincerity and envy, and of all evil speaking.

2 as newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk, that with it you may grow,

Thirst, like newly-born infants, for pure milk for the soul, that by it you may grow up to salvation;

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

if you have had any experience of the goodness of the Lord.

4 Come to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious.

Come to Him, the ever-living Stone, rejected indeed by men as worthless, but in God's esteem chosen and held in honour.

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 be yourselves also like living stones that are being built up into a spiritual house, to become a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

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.”

For it is contained in Scripture, "See, I am placing on Mount Zion a Cornerstone, chosen, and held in honour, and he whose faith rests on Him shall never have reason to feel ashamed."

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,”

To you believers, therefore, that honour belongs; but for unbelievers-- "A Stone which the builders rejected has been made the Cornerstone,"

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 "a Stone for the foot to strike against, and a Rock to stumble over." Their foot strikes against it because they are disobedient to God's Message, and to this they were appointed.

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 a chosen race, a priesthood of kingly lineage, a holy nation, a people belonging specially to God, that you may make known the perfections of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous 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.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not found mercy, but now you have.

11 Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

Dear friends, I entreat you as pilgrims and foreigners not to indulge the cravings of your lower natures: for all such cravings wage war upon the soul.

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.

Live honourable lives among the Gentiles, in order that, although they now speak against you as evil-doers, they may yet witness your good conduct, and may glorify God on the day of reward and retribution.

13 Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme,

Submit, for the Lord's sake, to every authority set up by man, whether it be to the Emperor as supreme ruler,

14 or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well.

or to provincial Governors as sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and the encouragement of 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.

For it is God's will that by doing what is right you should thus silence the ignorant talk of foolish persons.

16 Live as free people, yet not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.

Be free men, and yet do not make your freedom an excuse for base conduct, but be God's bondservants.

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

Honour every one. Love the brotherhood, fear God, honour the Emperor.

18 Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked.

Household servants, be submissive to your masters, and show them the utmost respect--not only if they are kind and thoughtful, but also if they are unreasonable.

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

For it is an acceptable thing with God, if, from a sense of duty to Him, a man patiently submits to wrong, when treated 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.

If you do wrong and receive a blow for it, what credit is there in your bearing it patiently? But if when you do right and suffer for it you bear it patiently, this is an acceptable thing with God.

21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps,

And it is to this you were called; because Christ also suffered on your behalf, leaving you an example so that you should follow in His steps.

22 who did not sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.”

He never sinned, and no deceitful language was ever heard from His mouth.

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 He was reviled, He did not answer with reviling; when He suffered He uttered no threats, but left His wrongs in the hands of the righteous Judge.

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.

The burden of our sins He Himself carried in His own body to the Cross and bore it there, so that we, having died so far as our sins are concerned, may live righteous lives. By His wounds yours have been healed.

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

For you were straying like lost sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Protector of your souls.