1 Peter 2

1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all deceit, and hypocrisy, and envy, and all slander,

Now that you have done with all malice, all deceitfulness, insincerity, jealous feelings, and all back-biting,

2 as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby to salvation,

like newly born infants, crave pure spiritual milk, so that you may be enabled by it to grow till you attain Salvation —

3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good:

since ‘you have found by experience that the Lord is kind.’

4 coming to him, a living stone, though rejected by people but chosen by God, precious.

Come to him, then, as to a living stone, rejected, indeed, by men, but in God’s eyes choice and 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, 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, "Look, I am laying in Zion a stone, a chosen precious cornerstone, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."

For there is a passage of Scripture that runs — ‘See, I am placing in Zion a choice and precious corner-stone; And he who believes in him shall have no cause for shame.’

7 For you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who do not believe, "The stone which the builders rejected, has become the chief cornerstone,"

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 to stumble over, and a rock to trip over." For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed.

and ‘a stumbling-block, and a rock which shall prove a hindrance.’ They stumble because they do not accept the Message. This was the fate destined for them.

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his 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 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 once 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 ‘God’s People’; once you ‘had not found mercy,’ but now you ‘have found mercy.’

11 Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and temporary residents, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Dear friends, I urge you, as pilgrims and strangers upon earth, to refrain from indulging the cravings of your earthly nature, for they make war upon the soul.

12 having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Let your daily life among the Gentiles be so upright, that, whenever they malign you as evil-doers, they may learn, as they watch, from the uprightness of your conduct, to praise God ‘at the time when he shall visit them.’

13 Subject yourselves to every human institution 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 to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well.

and to governors as the men sent by him to punish evil-doers and to commend those who do right.

15 For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people:

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 as a cover-up for evil, but as slaves of God.

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

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

Show honour to every one, Love the Brotherhood, ‘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 wicked.

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

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

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.

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 to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you 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 "committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth."

He ‘never sinned, nor was anything deceitful ever heard from his lips.’

23 Who, when he was cursed, did not curse back. When he suffered, did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges 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 bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose wounds you 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 you were going astray like sheep; but now have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

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