1 Peter 2

1 So putting away all wrongdoing, and all tricks and deceits and envies and evil talk,

So put aside all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.

2 Be full of desire for the true milk of the word, as babies at their mothers' breasts, so that you may go on to salvation;

Like newborn babies, long for pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow,

3 If you have had a taste of the grace of the Lord:

if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 To whom you come, as to a living stone, not honoured by men, but of great and special value to God;

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and precious in the sight of God,

5 You, as living stones, are being made into a house of the spirit, a holy order of priests, making those offerings of the spirit which are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

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

6 Because it is said in the Writings, See, I am placing a keystone in Zion, of great and special value; and the man who has faith in him will not be put to shame.

For it says in Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and no one who believes in him will ever be put to shame.”

7 And the value is for you who have faith; but it is said for those without faith, The very stone which the builders put on one side, was made the chief stone of the building;

This precious value is for you who believe, but to those who are disobedient, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”

8 And, A stone of falling, a rock of trouble; the word is the cause of their fall, because they go against it, and this was the purpose of God.

and, “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” By disobeying the word they stumble, which is what they were appointed to do.

9 But you are a special people, a holy nation, priests and kings, a people given up completely to God, so that you may make clear the virtues of him who took you out of the dark into the light of heaven.

But you are a chosen lineage, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

10 In the past you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; then there was no mercy for you, but now mercy has been given to you.

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.

11 My loved ones, I make this request with all my heart, that, as those for whom this world is a strange country, you will keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh which make war against the soul;

Beloved, I urge you as strangers and sojourners to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul,

12 Being of good behaviour among the Gentiles; so that though they say now that you are evil-doers, they may see your good works and give glory to God when he comes to be their judge.

keeping your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God on the day of his visitation.

13 Keep all the laws of men because of the Lord; those of the king, who is over all,

Therefore, be subject to every human institution for the sake of the Lord, whether to the king as supreme,

14 And those of the rulers who are sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and for the praise of those who do well.

or to governors as those who are sent by him to punish evildoers and to praise those who do good.

15 Because it is God's pleasure that foolish and narrow-minded men may be put to shame by your good behaviour:

For it is God's will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.

16 As those who are free, not using your free position as a cover for wrongdoing, but living as the servants of God;

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as an excuse to do evil; live as servants of God.

17 Have respect for all, loving the brothers, fearing God, honouring the king.

Give honor to all, love the brotherhood, fear God, and honor the king.

18 Servants, take orders from your masters with all respect; not only if they are good and gentle, but even if they are bad-humoured.

Servants, submit to your masters with complete respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are cruel.

19 For it is a sign of grace if a man, desiring to do right in the eyes of God, undergoes pain as punishment for something which he has not done.

For there is favor upon anyone who endures pain while suffering unjustly for the sake of conscience toward God.

20 What credit is it if, when you have done evil, you take your punishment quietly? but if you are given punishment for doing right, and take it quietly, this is pleasing to God.

What credit do you get if you endure when you sin and are beaten for it? But if you endure when you do good and suffer for it, this finds favor with God.

21 This is God's purpose for you: because Jesus himself underwent punishment for you, giving you an example, so that you might go in his footsteps:

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving an example so that you could follow in his footsteps.

22 Who did no evil, and there was no deceit in his mouth:

He committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth.

23 To sharp words he gave no sharp answer; when he was undergoing pain, no angry word came from his lips; but he put himself into the hands of the judge of righteousness:

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

24 He took our sins on himself, giving his body to be nailed on the tree, so that we, being dead to sin, might have a new life in righteousness, and by his wounds we have been made well.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to our sins and live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

25 Because, like sheep, you had gone out of the way; but now you have come back to him who keeps watch over your souls.

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