1 Petrus 2
1 So leget nun ab alle Bosheit und allen Betrug und Heuchelei und Neid und alle Verleumdungen,
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.
2 und seid als neugeborene Kindlein begierig nach der vernünftigen, unverfälschten Milch, damit ihr durch sie zunehmet zum Heil,
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].
3 wenn ihr anders geschmeckt habt, daß der Herr freundlich ist.
[Also, you need to do this] because you have experienced that the Lord [acts in] a good way toward you.
4 Da ihr zu ihm gekommen seid, als zu dem lebendigen Stein, der von den Menschen zwar verworfen, bei Gott aber auserwählt und köstlich ist,
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.
5 so lasset auch ihr euch nun aufbauen als lebendige Steine zum geistlichen Hause, zum heiligen Priestertum, um geistliche Opfer zu opfern, die Gott angenehm sind durch Jesus Christus.
[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.
6 Darum steht in der Schrift: «Siehe, ich lege in Zion einen auserwählten, wertvollen Eckstein; und wer an ihn glaubt, soll nicht zuschanden werden.»
[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.
7 Für euch nun, die ihr glaubet, hat er Wert; für die Ungläubigen aber ist der Stein, den die Bauleute verworfen haben und der zum Eckstein geworden ist, ein Stein des Anstoßens und ein Fels des Ärgernisses.
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).
8 Sie stoßen sich, weil sie dem Wort nicht glauben, wozu sie auch gesetzt sind.
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.
9 Ihr aber seid ein auserwähltes Geschlecht, ein königliches Priestertum, ein heiliges Volk, ein Volk des Eigentums, damit ihr die Tugenden dessen verkündiget, der euch aus der Finsternis zu seinem wunderbaren Licht berufen hat,
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.
10 die ihr einst nicht ein Volk waret, nun aber Gottes Volk seid, und einst nicht begnadigt waret, nun aber begnadigt seid.
[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.
11 Geliebte, ich ermahne euch als Fremdlinge und Pilgrime: Enthaltet euch von den fleischlichen Lüsten, welche wider die Seele streiten;
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.
12 und führet einen guten Wandel unter den Heiden, damit sie da, wo sie euch als Übeltäter verleumden, doch auf Grund der guten Werke, die sie sehen, Gott preisen am Tage der Untersuchung.
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).
13 Seid untertan aller menschlichen Ordnung,
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,
14 um des Herrn willen, es sei dem König als dem Oberhaupt, oder den Statthaltern als seinen Gesandten zur Bestrafung der Übeltäter und zum Lobe derer, die Gutes tun.
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 Denn das ist der Wille Gottes, daß ihr durch Gutestun den unverständigen und unwissenden Menschen den Mund stopfet;
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]).
16 als Freie, und nicht als hättet ihr die Freiheit zum Deckmantel der Bosheit, sondern als Knechte Gottes.
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].
17 Ehret jedermann, liebet die Bruderschaft, fürchtet Gott, ehret den König!
Act respectfully toward everyone. Love all your fellow believers. Revere God, and honor the king.
18 Die Hausknechte seien mit aller Furcht den Herren untertan, nicht nur den guten und milden, sondern auch den wunderlichen!
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].
19 Denn das ist Gnade, wenn jemand aus Gewissenhaftigkeit gegen Gott Kränkungen erträgt, indem er Unrecht leidet.
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]}.
20 Denn was ist das für ein Ruhm, wenn ihr Streiche erduldet, weil ihr gefehlt habt? Wenn ihr aber für Gutestun leidet und es erduldet, das ist Gnade bei Gott.
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.
21 Denn dazu seid ihr berufen, weil auch Christus für euch gelitten und euch ein Vorbild hinterlassen hat, daß ihr seinen Fußstapfen nachfolget.
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.
22 «Er hat keine Sünde getan, es ist auch kein Betrug in seinem Munde erfunden worden»;
[Remember how Christ conducted himself]: He never sinned, And he never said [MTY] anything to deceive people.
23 er schalt nicht, da er gescholten ward, er drohte nicht, da er litt, sondern übergab es dem, der gerecht richtet;
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).
24 er hat unsere Sünden selbst hinaufgetragen an seinem Leibe auf das Holz, damit wir, der Sünde gestorben, der Gerechtigkeit leben möchten; «durch seine Wunden seid ihr heil geworden.»
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].
25 Denn ihr waret «wie irrende Schafe», nun aber seid ihr bekehrt zu dem Hirten und Hüter eurer Seelen.
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].
