1Having put aside, then, all evil, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envyings, and all evil speakings, 2as newborn babies, desire the reasonable, unspoiled milk, so that you may grow up to salvation, 3if [it] so be [that] you tasted that the LORD [is] good,

4to whom coming—a living stone—having indeed been disapproved of by men, but with God—choice [and] precious, 5and you yourselves are built up as living stones [into] a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6For this reason, also, it is contained in the Writing: “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, choice, precious, and he who is believing on Him may not be put to shame”;

7to you, then, who are believing—the preciousness; but to the unbelieving, [the] stone that the builders disapproved of—this One has become the head of [the] corner,

8and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense—who are stumbling at the word, being unbelieving—to which they were also set.

9But you [are] a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired, that you may show forth the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light, 10who [were] once not a people, but [are] now the people of God; who had not found mercy, but now have found mercy.

11Beloved, I call on [you], as strangers and sojourners, to keep from the fleshly desires that war against the soul, 12having your behavior right among the nations, so that whenever they speak against you as evildoers, seeing [your] good works, they may glorify God in [the] day of inspection.

13Be subject, then, to every human creation, because of the LORD, whether to a king, as the highest, 14whether to governors, as to those sent through him, for punishment, indeed, of evildoers, and a praise of those doing good; 15because, so is the will of God, doing good, to put to silence the ignorance of the foolish men— 16as free, and not having freedom as the cloak of evil, but as servants of God; 17give honor to all; love the brotherhood; fear God; honor the king.

18Servants, be subject in all fear to the masters, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the crooked; 19for this [is] grace: if anyone endures sorrows because of conscience toward God, suffering unrighteously; 20for what renown [is it], if sinning and being battered, you endure [it]? But if, doing good and suffering [for it], you endure, this [is] grace with God,

21for to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving to you an example, that you may follow His steps, 22who did not commit sin, nor was guile found in His mouth, 23who being reviled—was not reviling again, suffering—was not threatening, and was committing Himself to Him who is judging righteously, 24who Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree that having died to sins, we may live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed; 25for you were as sheep going astray, but now you turned back to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.