1 Peter 2

1 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.

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

2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

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

3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

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

4 As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight,

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, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering 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 For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”

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 To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the 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 stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word—and to this 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 people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues 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 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received 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 urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your 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 Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

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 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority,

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 those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.

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 it is God’s will that by doing good you should 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 in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

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

17 Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

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

18 Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.

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 if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended.

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 How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before 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 to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps:

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 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”

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

23 When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

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, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”

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 like sheep going astray,” 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.