1 Peter 1:18-2:10

New King James Version

¹⁸knowing that you were not redeemed with ^[a]corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹but ^(A)with the precious blood of Christ, ^(B)as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ²⁰^(C)He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was ^[b]manifest ^(D)in these last times for you ²¹who through Him believe in God, ^(E)who raised Him from the dead and ^(F)gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

The Enduring Word

²²Since you ^(G)have purified your souls in obeying the truth ^[c]through the Spirit in ^[d]sincere ^(H)love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, ²³^(I)having been born again, not of ^[e]corruptible seed but ^[f]incorruptible, ^(J)through the word of God which lives and abides ^[g]forever, ²⁴because

^(K)“All flesh is as grass,
And all ^[h]the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
²⁵^(L)But the ^[i]word of the Lord endures forever.”

^(M)Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

Our Inheritance Through Christ’s Blood

2 Therefore, ^(N)laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ²^(O)as newborn babes, desire the pure ^(P)milk of the word, that you may grow ^[j]thereby, ³if indeed you have ^(Q)tasted that the Lord is gracious.

The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People^(R)

⁴Coming to Him as to a living stone, ^(S)rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵you 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. ⁶Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

^(T)“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

⁷Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who ^[k]are disobedient,

^(U)“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”

⁸and

^(V)“A stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense.”

^(W)They stumble, being disobedient to the word, ^(X)to which they also were appointed.

⁹But 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 ^(Y)darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰^(Z)who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.