1 Peter 2

1Therefore, lay aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisies, envies, and all slander.

2As newborn infants, crave the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow to salvation.

3If you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4As you come to him, a living stone rejected indeed by people, but chosen by God and precious.

5And you yourselves, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6Because it is included in Scripture: See, I place in Zion a chosen and precious cornerstone, and whoever believes in him will never be put to shame.

7Therefore honor belongs to you who believe, but to those who disbelieve, the stone the builders rejected—this has become the cornerstone.

8And a stumbling stone and a rock of offense—who stumble at the word, disobeying, to which they were also appointed.

9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

10who once were not a people but now are God's people, who had not been shown mercy but now have been shown mercy.

11Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly desires, which wage war against the soul.

12Maintain honorable conduct among the Gentiles, so that, although they slander you as wrongdoers, they may glorify God on the day of visitation by beholding your honorable deeds.

13Submit yourselves to every human institution for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme.

14or to rulers, as sent by him for punishment of wrongdoers and praise of those who do good.

15For God's will is that by doing good you silence the ignorance of foolish people.

16As free people, and not using your freedom as a cover for wickedness, but as God's servants.

17Honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

18Servants, submit to your masters with all fear—not only to the good and considerate, but also to the crooked.

19For this is commendable if someone endures pains while suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God.

20For what glory is there if, when you sin and are beaten, you endure patiently? But if, when you do good and suffer, you endure patiently, this finds favor with God.

21For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you would follow his steps.

22who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth.

23who, when insulted, did not insult back; when suffering, did not threaten, but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.

24Who himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that having died to sins we might live to righteousness; by whose stripe you were healed.

25For you were straying like sheep, but now you have turned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.