New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander.
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So putting away all wrongdoing, and all tricks and deceits and envies and evil talk,
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—
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Be full of desire for the true milk of the word, as babies at their mothers' breasts, so that you may go on to salvation;
3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
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If you have had a taste of the grace of the Lord:
4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and
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To whom you come, as to a living stone, not honoured by men, but of great and special value to God;
5 like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
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You, as living stones, are being made into a house of the spirit, a holy order of priests, making those offerings of the spirit which are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For it stands in scripture: "See, 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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Because it is said in the Writings, See, I am placing a keystone in Zion, of great and special value; and the man who has faith in him will not be put to shame.
7 To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,"
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And the value is for you who have faith; but it is said for those without faith, The very stone which the builders put on one side, was made the chief stone of the building;
8 and "A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
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And, A stone of falling, a rock of trouble; the word is the cause of their fall, because they go against it, and this was the purpose of God.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
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But you are a special people, a holy nation, priests and kings, a people given up completely to God, so that you may make clear the virtues of him who took you out of the dark into the light of heaven.
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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In the past you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; then there was no mercy for you, but now mercy has been given to you.
11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul.
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My loved ones, I make this request with all my heart, that, as those for whom this world is a strange country, you will keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh which make war against the soul;
12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.
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Being of good behaviour among the Gentiles; so that though they say now that you are evil-doers, they may see your good works and give glory to God when he comes to be their judge.
13 For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme,
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Keep all the laws of men because of the Lord; those of the king, who is over all,
14 or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.
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And those of the rulers who are sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and for the praise of those who do well.
15 For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish.
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Because it is God's pleasure that foolish and narrow-minded men may be put to shame by your good behaviour:
16 As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil.
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As those who are free, not using your free position as a cover for wrongdoing, but living as the servants of God;
17 Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
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Have respect for all, loving the brothers, fearing God, honouring the king.
18 Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh.
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Servants, take orders from your masters with all respect; not only if they are good and gentle, but even if they are bad-humoured.
19 For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly.
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For it is a sign of grace if a man, desiring to do right in the eyes of God, undergoes pain as punishment for something which he has not done.
20 If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval.
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What credit is it if, when you have done evil, you take your punishment quietly? but if you are given punishment for doing right, and take it quietly, this is pleasing to God.
21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.
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This is God's purpose for you: because Jesus himself underwent punishment for you, giving you an example, so that you might go in his footsteps:
22 "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."
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Who did no evil, and there was no deceit in his mouth:
23 When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.
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To sharp words he gave no sharp answer; when he was undergoing pain, no angry word came from his lips; but he put himself into the hands of the judge of righteousness:
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
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He took our sins on himself, giving his body to be nailed on the tree, so that we, being dead to sin, might have a new life in righteousness, and by his wounds we have been made well.
25 For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
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Because, like sheep, you had gone out of the way; but now you have come back to him who keeps watch over your souls.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.