1Therefore, having put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
2like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up into salvation,
3since you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4Coming to him, a living stone—rejected indeed by men but in God’s sight chosen and precious—
5you yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who believes on it will never be put to shame.”
7To you therefore who believe is the honor; but to those who do not believe, “The stone which the builders rejected, this one became the head of the corner,”
8and “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word—to which they were also appointed.
9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,
10who once were not a people, but now are the people of God; who had not received mercy, but now have received mercy.
11Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the fleshly desires, which wage war against the soul;
12keeping your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that in the matter in which they slander you as evildoers, they may, observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation.
13Submit to every human institution for the Lord’s sake: whether to a king as being supreme,
14or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do good.
15For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men;
16as free, and not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as slaves of God.
17Honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
18Household servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle but also to the crooked.
19For this is commendable, if because of consciousness of God someone endures griefs while suffering unjustly.
20For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten, you endure it? But if, when you do good and suffer, you endure it, this is a grace before God.
21For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered on your behalf, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his footsteps;
22who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth;
23who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly;
24who himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose wound you were healed.
25For you were straying like sheep, but now you have been turned back to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
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