2Verse 1So then, laying aside all malignity+—even all deceit and play-actings and envies, yes all malicious speaking—Verse 2crave the pure spiritual ‘milk’,+like newborn babies do, so that by it you may grow into salvation,+Verse 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is benevolent.Verse 4Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected indeed by men but chosen by God, precious—Verse 5you also, as living stones, are being built+into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.+
The Chief Cornerstone
Verse 6That is why the Scripture contains:“Attention, I am laying in Zion a chief cornerstone,chosen, precious,and the one who rests his trust upon Himwill absolutely not be humiliated.”+Verse 7So then, this recompense is for you who believe, but to those who disobey,+“the stone that the builders rejected is just the one that became the chief cornerstone,”+Verse 8also “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”;+being disobedient to the Word, they stumble, to which, indeed, they were appointed.+
A royal priesthood
Verse 9But you are a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a private-property people, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;Verse 10who formerly were not a people but now are God's people, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.+Verse 11Dear ones, I urge you to abstain from the lusts of the flesh, that war against the soul,+Verse 12keeping your way of life among the nations praiseworthy (you being foreigners and sojourners), so that wherein they speak against you as evildoers, in spite of the praiseworthy deeds they have observed,+they may glorify God in the day of visitation.+
Respect civil authority
Verse 13Therefore subordinate yourselves to every human institution because of the Lord, whether to a king, as being in authority,Verse 14or to governors, as being sent by him, both for punishment of evildoers and for praise of good-doers.+Verse 15Because such is the will of God, to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good:Verse 16as free (not using the freedom as a cover for evil), yet as slaves of God.Verse 17Respect everyone;+love the brotherhood; fear God; honor the king.
A word for servants
Verse 18Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unscrupulous.+Verse 19For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God someone endures grief, suffering unjustly.Verse 20For what credit is it if upon sinning and being beaten you endure patiently? But if upon doing good and suffering you endure patiently, this is commendable before God.Verse 21Now you have been called to this, really, because Christ also suffered in our behalf, leaving you+an example that you should follow in His footsteps:Verse 22who did not commit sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth;Verse 23who being reviled did not revile in return, suffering did not threaten but committed it to Him who judges righteously;Verse 24who Himself bore our sins in His own body+on the tree, so that we, having died to those sins,+might live for the+righteousness; by whose wound+you were healed.Verse 25Yes, you were like straying sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of our+souls.