1 Peter 2

1 Therefore, do not act maliciously in any way or deceive others. Do not (be a hypocrite/try to make others think that you have qualities that you do not really have), and do not (envy/be jealous of) others. Do not ever slander anyone.

Therefore, cease ye from all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisy, and envy, and backbiting.

2 Just like newborn babies [long for their mothers’] pure milk [MET], you should long for [God’s] spiritual [truth], so that by learning it you may become [spiritually] mature. [You need to] do this until the day when God [will] free you completely [from all the evil in this world].

And be like infant children; and crave the word, as being the pure spiritual milk by which ye are nourished up to life;

3 [Also, you need to do this] because you have experienced that the Lord [acts in] a good way toward you.

if ye have tasted and seen that the Lord is good:

4 You have come to the Lord Jesus. He is [like an important] stone [MET] [put in the foundation of a building], [but he is] alive, [not lifeless like a stone]. He was rejected by [many] people {[Many] people rejected him}, but God chose him and [considers him] to be very precious.

to whom ye have come, because he is a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but with God elect and precious.

5 [And like men] build houses with stones [MET], [God] is causing you to be joined together into a group in which [God’s] Spirit [lives], in order that you, because of what Jesus Christ did for us, might, like priests who offer sacrifices, [do things] that are pleasing to God.

And ye also, as living stones, are builded and become spiritual temples, and holy priests, for the offering of spiritual sacrifices, acceptable before God, through Jesus the Messiah.

6 [What Isaiah wrote] in the Scriptures [shows us that this is true]. [He wrote these words that God said]: Note this well: I am placing in Jerusalem [MTY] [one who is like] [MET] an extremely valuable [DOU] (stone/cornerstone, the most important stone in the structure of a building), and those who believe in him will never be disappointed.

For it is said in the scripture, Behold, in Zion I lay a chosen and precious stone, for the head of the corner; and whoever believeth in him, will not be ashamed.

7 Therefore, [God will] honor you who believe in [Jesus]. But those who [refuse to] believe in him [are like the builders] that this Scripture [talks about]: The stone that the builders rejected has become (the cornerstone/the most important stone in the foundation of the building).

On you therefore who believe, is this honor conferred: but to them who believe not,

8 And [it is also written] {[Isaiah wrote]} in the Scriptures: [He will be like] a stone that causes people to stumble, like a rock that people trip over. [Just as people are injured when] they stumble over a rock, people who disobey the message [about Jesus are injured spiritually], and that is what [God] determined would happen to them.

he is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence. And they stumble at it, because they believe not the word: whereto they were appointed.

9 But you are people whom God has chosen [to belong to him]. You are [a group that represents God like] priests do, and you rule with God [MET] like kings. You are (a holy group of people/a group of people who are separate from evil). You are people who belong to God. This is in order that you might proclaim the virtues of [God. He has] called you from [your former ways], [when you were ignorant of his truth], into the marvelous [understanding that he gives us] [MET]. [That is, he has called you] out of [spiritual] darkness into [spiritual] light.

But ye are an elect race, officiating as priests of the kingdom; a holy people, a redeemed congregation; that ye should proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness to his precious light:

10 [What the prophet Hosea wrote is true of you] Formerly, you were not a people [who had a relationship with God], But now you are God’s people. At one time [God] had not acted mercifully toward you, But now he has acted mercifully toward you.

who formerly were not accounted a people, but now are the people of God; and also, there were once no mercies on you, but now mercies are poured out upon you.

11 You people whom I love, I urge you to consider that you are like foreigners [MET, DOU] [whose real home is in heaven]. As a result, avoid doing the things that your self-directed nature desires, because those desires (fight against/always oppose) your souls.

My beloved, I entreat you as strangers and pilgrims, separate yourselves from all lusts of the body; for they war against the soul.

12 Keep conducting your lives in a good way among those who do not know God. [If you do that], although they may accuse you, saying that you are people who do evil things, they will see your good behavior, and at the time when God comes [to judge people], they will (give honor to him/say that what he does is right).

And let your behavior be decorous before all men; so that they who utter evil speeches against you, may see your good actions, and may praise God in the day of trial.

13 For the sake of the Lord [Jesus], submit yourselves to every human authority. That includes submitting yourselves to the king, who is the most important authority,

And be ye submissive to all the sons of men, for God's sake; to kings, on account of their authority;

14 and to governors, who are sent by the king {whom the king sends} to punish those who do what is wrong and to commend/honor those who do what is right.

and to judges, because they are sent by him for the punishment of offenders, and for the praise of them that do well.

15 What God wants is that by your doing [only] what is good you will cause foolish people who do not know [God] to be unable to say things ([to condemn you/to show you why you should be punished]).

For so is the pleasure of God, that by your good deeds ye may stop the mouth of the foolish, who know not God:

16 Conduct your lives as though you were free [from having to obey authorities], but do not think “Because I am free from having to obey authorities, I can do evil things.” Instead, act as servants of God [should].

as free men, yet not like men who make their freedom a cloak for their wickedness, but as the servants of God.

17 Act respectfully toward everyone. Love all your fellow believers. Revere God, and honor the king.

Honor all men; love your brethren; fear God; and honor kings.

18 You slaves [who are believers], submit yourselves to your masters and completely respect them. Submit yourselves not only to those who [act in a] good and kind [DOU] way towards you, but also submit yourselves to those who [act in a] harsh way [towards you].

And those among you who are servants, be subject to your masters, with reverence; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh and morose.

19 You should do that because God is pleased with those who, knowing that he is aware of what is happening to them, endure the pain that they suffer [because of being treated unjustly by their masters] {[their masters have treated them unjustly]}.

For there is favor before God for them who, for the sake of a good conscience, endure sorrows that come upon them wrongfully.

20 God will certainly not [RHQ] be pleased with you if you do something that is wrong and as a result you are beaten {someone beats you}! But if, instead of doing something that is wrong, you do what is good, and as a result of that, you suffer for doing something that is good, and you endure that suffering, God will (commend/be pleased with) you.

But they who endure afflictions on account of their offences, what praise have they? But if, when ye do well, they vex you, and ye endure it; then great is your praise with God.

21 One of the reasons why God chose you is that you would [suffer]. When Christ suffered for you, he became an example for you, in order that you would (imitate what/do like) he did.

For unto this were ye called; because the Messiah also died for us, and left us this pattern, that ye should walk in his steps.

22 [Remember how Christ conducted himself]: He never sinned, And he never said [MTY] anything to deceive people.

He did no sin; neither was guile found in his mouth.

23 When people insulted him, he did not insult them in return. When people caused him to suffer, he did not threaten (to get revenge/to cause them to suffer). Instead, he decided to let God, who always judges justly, prove that he (was innocent/had done nothing that is wrong) (OR, he left his case in the hands of God, who always judges justly).

When he was reviled, be reviled not; and he suffered and threatened not, but committed his cause to the Judge of righteousness.

24 He himself endured physically the punishment for our sins when he died on the cross, in order that we would stop sinning (OR, no longer respond to sinful desires) and start living righteous lives. It is because he was wounded {they wounded him} that your [souls have been saved] [MET] [from being sinful, as people’s bodies] are healed [from being sick].

And he took away all our sins, and, in his body, lifted them to the cross; that we, when dead to sin, might live by his righteousness: for by his wounds, ye are healed.

25 Truly you were like sheep that had gone astray [SIM], but now you have returned to [Jesus], who cares for your souls [as] a shepherd [cares for his sheep] [MET].

For ye, once went astray, like sheep; but ye have now returned to the Shepherd and Curator of your souls.