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.

بنابراین، وجود خود را از هر نوع کینه و دشمنی، فریب و دورویی، حسادت و بدگویی، پاک سازید.

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].

شما که مهر و محبت خداوند را در زندگی خود چشیده‌اید، مانند یک نوزاد، مشتاق شیر خالص روحانی باشید، تا با خوردن آن، در نجاتی که به دست آورده‌اید، رشد نمایید.

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

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.

می‌دانید که مسیح، آن سنگ زنده‌ای است که خدا مقرر فرموده تا عمارت روحانی خود را بر آن بنا کند. گرچه انسانها او را رد کردند، اما او نزد خدا برگزیده و گرانبهاست. پس به سوی او بیایید،

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.

تا شما نیز مانند سنگهای زنده در دست خدا، در بنای آن عمارت و عبادتگاه روحانی به کار روید. مهمتر اینکه شما در این عبادتگاه، کاهن مقدّس نیز می‌باشید. پس قربانیهای روحانی مقبول و مورد پسند خدا را توسط عیسی مسیح تقدیم کنید.

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.

در کتب مقدّس آمده است که: «من در اورشلیم سنگی می‌گذارم، سنگ زاویۀ برگزیده و گرانبها، و هر که به او توکل کند، سرافکنده نخواهد شد.»

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).

این «سنگ» برای شما که ایمان دارید، بسیار گرانبهاست، اما برای بی‌ایمانان همان سنگی است که درباره‌اش گفته شده: «سنگی که معماران دور افکندند، سنگ اصلی ساختمان شده است.»

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.

همچنین، در کتب مقدّس آمده است: «او سنگی است که سبب لغزش می‌شود و صخره‌ای است که باعث سقوط می‌گردد.» سقوط و افتادن آنها به این دلیل است که از کلام خدا اطاعت نمی‌کنند، بنابراین آنچه برای آنها مقدر شده بود، بر سرشان می‌آید.

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.

اما شما مانند آنان نیستید. شما برگزیدگان خدا، و کاهنان پادشاهمان عیسی، و قومی مقدّس می‌باشید، تا نیکویی خدا را به دیگران نشان دهید، زیرا او شما را از تاریکی به نور شگفت‌انگیز خود دعوت نموده است.

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.

زمانی شما هیچ هویت نداشتید، اما اکنون قوم خدا می‌باشید؛ زمانی از رحمت و مهربانی خدا بی‌بهره بودید، اما حال، مورد لطف و رحمت او قرار گرفته‌اید.

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.

برادران عزیز، شما در این دنیا رهگذری بیش نیستید، و خانهٔ اصلی شما در آسمان است. از این رو، خواهش می‌کنم خود را از لذات گناه‌آلود این دنیا دور نگاه دارید. شما برای این قبیل امیال و هوسها ساخته نشده‌اید؛ به همین دلیل است که آنها با روح و جان شما در جنگ و جدالند.

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).

مراقب رفتار خود نزد اطرافیان بی‌ایمانتان باشید؛ چه، در این صورت، حتی اگر ایشان شما را متهم به بدکاری نمایند، اما در زمان بازگشت مسیح، خدا را به سبب کارهای نیکتان، تمجید خواهند کرد.

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,

به خاطر خداوند، از مقامات کشور اطاعت نمایید، خواه از رهبر مملکت، و خواه از مأمورین دولت که از سوی رهبر منصوب شده‌اند تا خلافکاران را مجازات کنند و درستکاران را تحسین نمایند.

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.

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]).

خواست خدا این است که شما درستکار باشید تا به این ترتیب دهان اشخاص نادانی را که از شما ایراد می‌گیرند ببندید.

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].

درست است که شما از قید و بند احکام مذهبی آزاد شده‌اید، اما این به آن معنی نیست که می‌توانید به هر کار نادرستی دست بزنید، بلکه آزادی خود را باید برای اجرای خواست خدا به کار ببرید.

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

به همه احترام کنید؛ ایمانداران را دوست بدارید؛ از خدا بترسید؛ به پادشاه احترام بگذارید.

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].

شما خدمتکاران، باید مطیع اربابان خود باشید و به ایشان احترام کامل بگذارید، نه فقط به اربابان مهربان و با ملاحظه، بلکه به آنانی نیز که سختگیر و تندخو هستند.

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]}.

اگر به خاطر انجام ارادهٔ خدا، به ناحق متحمل رنج و زحمت شوید، خدا شما را اجر خواهد داد.

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.

اگر به سبب اعمال بد و نادرست مجازات شوید، چه افتخاری دارد؟ اما اگر به سبب درستکاری و نیکوکاری، رنج و زحمت ببینید و بدون شکایت آن را تحمل نمایید، آنگاه خدا را خشنود ساخته‌اید.

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.

این رنج و زحمت، جزئی از خدمتی است که خدا به شما محول کرده است. سرمشق شما مسیح است که در راه شما زحمت کشید. پس راه او را ادامه دهید.

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

هرگز از او گناهی سر نزد، و فریبی از دهان او بیرون نیامد.

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).

وقتی به او ناسزا می‌گفتند، پاسخی نمی‌داد؛ و زمانی که او را عذاب می‌دادند، تهدید به انتقام نمی‌کرد، بلکه زندگی خود را به خدایی واگذار کرد که داور عادل و با انصاف می‌باشد.

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].

او بر روی صلیب، بار گناهان ما را بر دوش گرفت تا ما بتوانیم از چنگ گناه رهایی یافته، زندگی پاکی داشته باشیم. همان که به زخمهایش شفا یافته‌اید.

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].

شما مانند گوسفندانی بودید که راهشان را گم کرده‌اند. اما اکنون نزد شبانتان بازگشته‌اید، شبانی که حافظ جان شماست.