१ पितरः 2
1 सर्व्वान् द्वेषान् सर्व्वांश्च छलान् कापट्यानीर्ष्याः समस्तग्लानिकथाश्च दूरीकृत्य
Now that you have done with all malice, all deceitfulness, insincerity, jealous feelings, and all backbiting,
2 युष्माभिः परित्राणाय वृद्धिप्राप्त्यर्थं नवजातशिशुभिरिव प्रकृतं वाग्दुग्धं पिपास्यतां।
like newly born infants, crave pure spiritual milk, so that you may be enabled by it to grow until you attain salvation –
3 यतः प्रभु र्मधुर एतस्यास्वादं यूयं प्राप्तवन्तः।
since ‘you have found by experience that the Lord is kind.’
4 अपरं मानुषैरवज्ञातस्य किन्त्वीश्वरेणाभिरुचितस्य बहुमूल्यस्य जीवत्प्रस्तरस्येव तस्य प्रभोः सन्निधिम् आगता
Come to him, then, as to a living stone, rejected, indeed, by men, but in God’s eyes choice and precious;
5 यूयमपि जीवत्प्रस्तरा इव निचीयमाना आत्मिकमन्दिरं ख्रीष्टेन यीशुना चेश्वरतोषकाणाम् आत्मिकबलीनां दानार्थं पवित्रो याजकवर्गो भवथ।
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 यतः शास्त्रे लिखितमास्ते, यथा, पश्य पाषाण एको ऽस्ति सीयोनि स्थापितो मया। मुख्यकोणस्य योग्यः स वृतश्चातीव मूल्यवान्। यो जनो विश्वसेत् तस्मिन् स लज्जां न गमिष्यति।
For there is a passage of scripture that runs – ‘See, I am placing in Zion a choice and precious cornerstone; and those who believe in him will have no cause for shame.’
7 विश्वासिनां युष्माकमेव समीपे स मूल्यवान् भवति किन्त्वविश्वासिनां कृते निचेतृभिरवज्ञातः स पाषाणः कोणस्य भित्तिमूलं भूत्वा बाधाजनकः पाषाणः स्खलनकारकश्च शैलो जातः।
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 ते चाविश्वासाद् वाक्येन स्खलन्ति स्खलने च नियुक्ताः सन्ति।
and ‘a stumbling-block, and a rock which will prove a hindrance.’ They stumble because they do not accept the message. This was the fate destined for them.
9 किन्तु यूयं येनान्धकारमध्यात् स्वकीयाश्चर्य्यदीप्तिमध्यम् आहूतास्तस्य गुणान् प्रकाशयितुम् अभिरुचितो वंशो राजकीयो याजकवर्गः पवित्रा जातिरधिकर्त्तव्याः प्रजाश्च जाताः।
But you are ‘a chosen people, 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 पूर्व्वं यूयं तस्य प्रजा नाभवत किन्त्विदानीम् ईश्वरस्य प्रजा आध्वे। पूर्व्वम् अननुकम्पिता अभवत किन्त्विदानीम् अनुकम्पिता आध्वे।
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 हे प्रियतमाः, यूयं प्रवासिनो विदेशिनश्च लोका इव मनसः प्रातिकूल्येन योधिभ्यः शारीरिकसुखाभिलाषेभ्यो निवर्त्तध्वम् इत्यहं विनये।
Dear friends, I beg you, as pilgrims and strangers on earth, to refrain from indulging the cravings of your earthly nature, for they make war on the soul.
12 देवपूजकानां मध्ये युष्माकम् आचार एवम् उत्तमो भवतु यथा ते युष्मान् दुष्कर्म्मकारिलोकानिव पुन र्न निन्दन्तः कृपादृष्टिदिने स्वचक्षुर्गोचरीयसत्क्रियाभ्य ईश्वरस्य प्रशंसां कुर्य्युः।
Let your daily life among the Gentiles be so upright, that, whenever they malign you as evildoers, they may learn, as they watch, from the uprightness of your conduct, to praise God ‘at the time when he will visit them.’
13 ततो हेतो र्यूयं प्रभोरनुरोधात् मानवसृष्टानां कर्तृत्वपदानां वशीभवत विशेषतो भूपालस्य यतः स श्रेष्ठः,
Submit to all human institutions for the Lord’s sake, alike to the emperor as the supreme authority,
14 देशाध्यक्षाणाञ्च यतस्ते दुष्कर्म्मकारिणां दण्डदानार्थं सत्कर्म्मकारिणां प्रशंसार्थञ्च तेन प्रेरिताः।
and to governors as sent by him to punish evildoers and to commend those who do right.
15 इत्थं निर्ब्बोधमानुषाणाम् अज्ञानत्वं यत् सदाचारिभि र्युष्माभि र्निरुत्तरीक्रियते तद् ईश्वरस्याभिमतं।
For God’s will is this – that you should silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing what is right.
16 यूयं स्वाधीना इवाचरत तथापि दुष्टताया वेषस्वरूपां स्वाधीनतां धारयन्त इव नहि किन्त्वीश्वरस्य दासा इव।
Act as free people, yet not using your freedom as those do who make it a cloak for wickedness, but as Servants of God.
17 सर्व्वान् समाद्रियध्वं भ्रातृवर्गे प्रीयध्वम् ईश्वराद् बिभीत भूपालं सम्मन्यध्वं।
Show honor to everyone, love the Lord’s followers, ‘revere God, honor the emperor.’
18 हे दासाः यूयं सम्पूर्णादरेण प्रभूनां वश्या भवत केवलं भद्राणां दयालूनाञ्च नहि किन्त्वनृजूनामपि।
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 यतो ऽन्यायेन दुःखभोगकाल ईश्वरचिन्तया यत् क्लेशसहनं तदेव प्रियं।
For this wins God’s approval when, because conscious of God’s presence, a person who is suffering unjustly bears their troubles patiently.
20 पापं कृत्वा युष्माकं चपेटाघातसहनेन का प्रशंसा? किन्तु सदाचारं कृत्वा युष्माकं यद् दुःखसहनं तदेवेश्वरस्य प्रियं।
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 तदर्थमेव यूयम् आहूता यतः ख्रीष्टोऽपि युष्मन्निमित्तं दुःखं भुक्त्वा यूयं यत् तस्य पदचिह्नै र्व्रजेत तदर्थं दृष्टान्तमेकं दर्शितवान्।
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 स किमपि पापं न कृतवान् तस्य वदने कापि छलस्य कथा नासीत्।
He ‘never sinned, nor was anything deceitful ever heard from his lips.’
23 निन्दितो ऽपि सन् स प्रतिनिन्दां न कृतवान् दुःखं सहमानो ऽपि न भर्त्सितवान् किन्तु यथार्थविचारयितुः समीपे स्वं समर्पितवान्।
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 वयं यत् पापेभ्यो निवृत्य धर्म्मार्थं जीवामस्तदर्थं स स्वशरीरेणास्माकं पापानि क्रुश ऊढवान् तस्य प्रहारै र्यूयं स्वस्था अभवत।
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 यतः पूर्व्वं यूयं भ्रमणकारिमेषा इवाध्वं किन्त्वधुना युष्माकम् आत्मनां पालकस्याध्यक्षस्य च समीपं प्रत्यावर्त्तिताः।
Once you were straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
