1 Peter 2

1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

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

2 as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation;

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

3 if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious:

since “you have found by experience that the Lord is kind.”

4 unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious,

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

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

and, 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.

6 Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.

For 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.”

7 For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner;

It 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,”

8 and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

and “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.

9 But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God’s] own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

But 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.

10 who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Once you were “not a people,” but now you are “God’s people”; once you “had not found mercy,” but now you “have found mercy.”

11 Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Dear 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.

12 having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Let 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.”

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

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

14 or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Show honour to everyone, love the Lord’s followers, “revere God, honour the emperor.”

18 Servants, [be] in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

Those 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.

19 For this is acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully.

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

20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted [for it], ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it], ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

What 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.

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

For 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.

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

He “never sinned, nor was anything deceitful ever heard from his lips.”

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

He 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.

24 who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.

And 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.”

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

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