1 Peter 2 (New American Standard)

As Newborn Babes

1 Therefore, ¹putting aside all ^amalice and all deceit and ^bhypocrisy and ^cenvy and all ^d2slander, 2 ³like newborn babies, long for the ^e4pure ^fmilk of the word, so that by it you may ⁵grow ^gin respect to salvation, 3 if you have ⁶tasted ^h7the kindness of the Lord.

As Living Stones

4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been ⁸rejected by men, but is ⁱchoice and precious in the sight of God, 5 ⁹you also, as living stones, ^jare being built up as a ¹⁰spiritual house for a holy ¹¹priesthood, to ¹²offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in ^kScripture : "¹³BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A ¹⁴PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN ^lHIM WILL NOT BE ^mDISAPPOINTED." 7 ¹⁵This precious value, then, is for you who believe ; but for those who disbelieve, "¹⁶THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS ¹⁷REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone," 8 and, "¹⁸A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE "; ¹⁹for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, ²⁰and to this doom they were also appointed. 9 But you are ²¹A CHOSEN RACE, A royal ²²PRIESTHOOD, A ²³HOLY NATION, ²⁴A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you ²⁵out of darkness into His marvelous light ; 10 ²⁶for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD ; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 11 ²⁷Beloved, ²⁸I urge you as ²⁹aliens and strangers to abstain from ³⁰fleshly lusts which wage ³¹war against the soul. 12 ³²Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they ³³slander you as evildoers, they may ⁿbecause of your good deeds, as they observe them, ³⁴glorify God ³⁵in the day of ^ovisitation.

Honor Authority

13 ³⁶Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent ^pby him ³⁷for the punishment of evildoers and the ³⁸praise of those who do right. 15 For ^q39such is the will of God that by doing right you may ⁴⁰silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Act as ⁴¹free men, and ^rdo not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as ⁴²bondslaves of God. 17 ⁴³Honor all people, ⁴⁴love the brotherhood, ⁴⁵fear God, ⁴⁶honor the ^sking. 18 ⁴⁷Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and ⁴⁸gentle, but also to those who are ^tunreasonable. 19 For this finds ^ufavor, if for the sake of ⁴⁹conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience ? But if ⁵⁰when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds ^vfavor with God.

Christ Is Our Example

21 For ⁵¹you have been called for this purpose, ⁵²since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you ⁵³an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO ⁵⁴COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH ; 23 ^wand while being ⁵⁵reviled, He did not revile in return ; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously ; 24 and He Himself ^x56bore our sins in His body on the ^y57cross, so that we ⁵⁸might die to ^zsin and live to righteousness ; for ⁵⁹by His ^aawounds you were ⁶⁰healed. 25 For you were ⁶¹continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the ⁶²Shepherd and ^bbGuardian of your souls.