2:1 | Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, |
2:2 | as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, |
2:3 | if indeed you have tasted that the Lord [is] gracious. |
2:4 | Coming to Him [as to] a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God [and] precious, |
2:5 | you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. |
2:6 | Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." |
2:7 | Therefore, to you who believe, [He is] precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone," |
2:8 | and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. |
2:9 | But you [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; |
2:10 | who once [were] not a people but [are] now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. |
2:11 | Beloved, I beg [you] as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, |
2:12 | having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by [your] good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. |
2:13 | Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, |
2:14 | or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and [for the] praise of those who do good. |
2:15 | For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men |
2:16 | as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. |
2:17 | Honor all [people]. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. |
2:18 | Servants, [be] submissive to [your] masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. |
2:19 | For this [is] commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. |
2:20 | For what credit [is it] if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this [is] commendable before God. |
2:21 | For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: |
2:22 | "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; |
2:23 | who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed [Himself] to Him who judges righteously; |
2:24 | who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousnessby whose stripes you were healed. |
2:25 | For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. |