English Standard Version ESV
New King James Version NKJV
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
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Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation--
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as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
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if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,
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Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
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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.
6 For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."
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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."
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,"
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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,"
8 and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense. "They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
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and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
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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;
10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
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who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
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Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
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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.
13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme,
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Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,
14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.
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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.
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
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For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--
16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
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as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
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Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.
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Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.
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For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.
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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.
21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
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For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.
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"Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth";
23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
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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;
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
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who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.
25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
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For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.