1 Peter

1 Peter 2

Newborn Infants

1 So, having put away all badness and all deceit and hypocrisies and envies and all slanders, 2 like newborn infants long for the reasoned milk that is without deceit, so that by it you may grow up into rescue, 3 if you have tasted that the Lord is kind.

Living Stones

4 Coming to him, a living stone — rejected by people, but with God chosen and precious — 5 you yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices well received by God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Look, I lay in Zion a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

7 So the honor is for you who trust; but for those who do not trust, “The stone the builders rejected became the cornerstone,” 8 and “a stone of stumbling and a rock to trip over.” They stumble because they disobey the word — to which they were also appointed.

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light — 10 you who once were not a people but now are God’s people, who had not been shown mercy but now have been shown mercy.

Your Way of Life Among the Nations

11 Beloved, I urge you as resident foreigners and temporary visitors to keep away from the fleshly desires, which wage war against the soul, 12 keeping your way of life among the nations good, so that in the very thing in which they speak against you as evildoers, they may, from watching your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation.

13 Be subject to every human institution for the Lord’s sake — whether to a king as being over all, 14 or to governors as sent through him for punishment of evildoers and praise of those who do good 15 (because this is God’s will: that by doing good you muzzle the ignorance of foolish people) — 16 as free, and not having your freedom as a covering for badness, but as slaves of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

He Left You a Copy to Trace

18 Household servants, be subject in all fear to your masters, not only to the good and fair but also to the crooked. 19 For this is favor: if because of conscience toward God someone bears up under griefs, suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if you endure when you sin and are beaten? But if you endure when you do good and suffer, this is favor with God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you a copy to trace, so that you might follow after his footprints —

22 who committed no sin,

nor was deceit found in his mouth;

23 who, being reviled, did not revile in return;

suffering, did not threaten,

but kept handing over to the one who judges justly;

24 who himself carried up our sins in his body onto the tree,

so that we, having done with sins, might live to righteousness;

by whose bruise you were healed.

25 For you were going astray like sheep, but you have now turned back to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.