| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. | 1So get rid of all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. |
| 2Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— | 2And yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation, |
| 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. | 3if you have experienced the Lord's kindness. |
| 4As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, | 4So as you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and priceless in God's sight, |
| 5you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. | 5you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. |
| 6For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” | 6For it says in scripture, "Look, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and priceless cornerstone, and whoever believes in him will never be put to shame." |
| 7So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” | 7So you who believe see his value, but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, |
| 8and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. | 8and a stumbling-stone and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. |
| 9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. | 9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. |
| 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. | 10You once were not a people, but now you are God's people. You were shown no mercy, but now you have received mercy. |
| 11Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. | 11Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to keep away from fleshly desires that do battle against the soul, |
| 12Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. | 12and maintain good conduct among the non-Christians, so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears. |
| 13Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, | 13Be subject to every human institution for the Lord's sake, whether to a king as supreme |
| 14or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. | 14or to governors as those he commissions to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do good. |
| 15For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. | 15For God wants you to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. |
| 16Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. | 16Live as free people, not using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but as God's slaves. |
| 17Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. | 17Honor all people, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king. |
| 18Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. | 18Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are perverse. |
| 19For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. | 19For this finds God's favor, if because of conscience toward God someone endures hardships in suffering unjustly. |
| 20For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. | 20For what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it? But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God. |
| 21For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. | 21For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps. |
| 22He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. | 22He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth. |
| 23When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. | 23When he was maligned, he did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened no retaliation, but committed himself to God who judges justly. |
| 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. | 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we may cease from sinning and live for righteousness. By his wounds you were healed. |
| 25For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. | 25For you were going astray like sheep but now you have turned back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. |
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