1 Peter 2

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Living Stone and a Holy People

2 So rid yourselves of^(A) all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.^(B) ²Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk,^(C) so that you may grow by it for your salvation,^[a] ³since you have tasted^(D) that the Lord is good.^(E)^[b] ⁴Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God— ⁵you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God^(F) through Jesus Christ. ⁶For it is contained in Scripture:

Look! I lay a stone in Zion,^(G)
a chosen and honored^[c] cornerstone,^[d]^(H)
and the one who believes in Him
will never be put to shame!^[e]^(I)^[f]

⁷So honor will come to you who believe, but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected—
this One has become the cornerstone,^(J)^[g]

⁸and

A stone to stumble over,^[h]
and a rock to trip over.^[i]^(K)^[j]

They stumble because they disobey the message; they were destined^(L) for this.

⁹But you are a chosen race,^[k]^(M)^[l] a royal priesthood,^(N)^[m]
a holy nation,^(O)^[n] a people for His possession,^(P)^[o]
so that you may proclaim the praises^[p]^(Q)^[q]
of the One who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light.^(R)
¹⁰Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
you had not received mercy,^(S)
but now you have received mercy.

A Call to Good Works

¹¹Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents^(T) to abstain^(U) from fleshly^(V) desires that war against you.^[r]^(W) ¹²Conduct^(X) yourselves honorably among the Gentiles,^[s] so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation.^[t]^(Y)

¹³Submit^(Z) to every human authority^[u] because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor^[v] as the supreme authority^(AA) ¹⁴or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. ¹⁵For it is God’s will^(AB) that you silence the ignorance^(AC) of foolish people by doing good. ¹⁶As God’s slaves,^(AD) live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil.^(AE) ¹⁷Honor everyone. Love^(AF) the brotherhood.^(AG) Fear God.^(AH) Honor the Emperor.^[w]

Submission of Slaves to Masters

¹⁸Household slaves, submit with all fear^(AI) to your masters,^(AJ) not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel.^[x]^(AK) ¹⁹For it brings favor^[y] if, mindful of God’s will,^[z]^[aa] someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. ²⁰For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer,^(AL) if you endure it, this brings favor with God.

²¹For you were called to this,
because Christ also suffered^(AM) for you,
leaving you an example,^(AN)
so that you should follow^(AO) in His steps.
²²He did not commit sin,^(AP)
and no deceit^(AQ) was found in His mouth;^(AR)^[ab]
²³when He was reviled,
He did not revile in return;
when He was suffering,
He did not threaten
but entrusted Himself to the One who judges^(AS) justly.
²⁴He Himself bore our sins^(AT)
in His body^(AU) on the tree,^(AV)
so that, having died to sins,^(AW)
we might live for righteousness;^(AX)
you have been healed by His wounds.^(AY)^[ac]
²⁵For you were like sheep going astray,^(AZ)^[ad]
but you have now returned
to the Shepherd^(BA) and Guardian^[ae] of your souls.