1 Having put away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisy, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 as newborn babes, long for the reasonable guileless milk, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation; 3 if ye have tasted that the Lord is good: 4 unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious, 5 ye also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, unto a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Because it is contained in a scripture,
Lo, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, †precious:And who believeth on him shall in nowise be shamed.
7 For you therefore that believe is the honor: but for the disbelieving,
A stone which the builders rejected,
The same was made head of the corner;
8 and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense: who stumble at the word, being disobedient; whereunto also they were appointed. 9 But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s possession, so that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous :light:
10 who once were no people, but now are God’s people: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 having your behavior good among the nations; that, wherein they speak against you as evildoers, they may by the good works, which they behold, glorify :God on visitation day.
13 Be subject to man’s every creation for the Lord’s sake: whether to king, as supreme; 14 or to governors, as sent through him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise on well doers. 15 For thus is the will of :God, that by well doing ye silence the ignorance of foolish :men: 16 as free, and not using the freedom for a cloak of :wickedness, but as bondmen of God. 17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear :God. Hold the king in honor. 18 Ye, the servants, be in subjection to the masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19 For this is grace, if for conscience †toward God one endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted, ye are patient? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is grace before God. 21 For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his :steps: 22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his :mouth: 23 who, when reviled, reviled not again; when suffering, threatened not; but committed it to him that judgeth righteously: 24 who himself carried our :sins in his :body up to the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose bruise ye were healed. 25 For ye were wandering like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and overseer of your :souls.
