| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1So get rid of all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. | 1So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. |
| 2And yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation, | 2Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, |
| 3if you have experienced the Lord's kindness. | 3now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. Living Stones for God’s House |
| 4So as you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and priceless in God's sight, | 4You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. |
| 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. | 5And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. |
| 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." | 6As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” |
| 7So you who believe see his value, but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, | 7Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” |
| 8and a stumbling-stone and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. | 8And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. |
| 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. | 9But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. |
| 10You once were not a people, but now you are God's people. You were shown no mercy, but now you have received mercy. | 10“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” |
| 11Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to keep away from fleshly desires that do battle against the soul, | 11Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. |
| 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. | 12Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. Respecting People in Authority |
| 13Be subject to every human institution for the Lord's sake, whether to a king as supreme | 13For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, |
| 14or to governors as those he commissions to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do good. | 14or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right. |
| 15For God wants you to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. | 15It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. |
| 16Live as free people, not using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but as God's slaves. | 16For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. |
| 17Honor all people, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king. | 17Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king. Slaves |
| 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. | 18You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. |
| 19For this finds God's favor, if because of conscience toward God someone endures hardships in suffering unjustly. | 19For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. |
| 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. | 20Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. |
| 21For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps. | 21For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. |
| 22He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth. | 22He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. |
| 23When he was maligned, he did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened no retaliation, but committed himself to God who judges justly. | 23He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. |
| 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. | 24He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. |
| 25For you were going astray like sheep but now you have turned back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. | 25Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls. |
|
