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The Living Stone and a Holy People

1 Therefore, rid yourselves of  * 2:1 Rm 13:12 all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.  * 2:1 2Co 12:202 Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word,  * 2:2 Or desire pure spiritual milk,* 2:2 1Co 3:2; 9:7; Heb 5:12–13 so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, 3 if you have tasted* 2:3 Heb 6:4–5that the Lord is good.* 2:3 Ps 34:8,* 2:3 Ps 34:8; Ti 3:44 As you come to him, a living stone — rejected by people but chosen and honored by  * 2:4 Or precious to God —  5 you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood  * 2:5 Or you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God  * 2:5 Rm 12:1; Heb 13:15 through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

See, I lay a stone in Zion,* 2:6 Ps 9:11; Heb 12:22

a chosen and honored* 2:6 Or precious  cornerstone,* 2:6 Eph 2:20

and the one who believes in him

will never be put to shame.* 2:6 Is 28:16 LXX,* 2:6 Is 28:16; Rm 9:33; 10:11

7 So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected —

this one has become the cornerstone,* 2:7 Ps 118:22,* 2:7 Ps 118:22; Mt 21:42; Lk 20:17; Ac 4:11

8 and

A stone to stumble over,

and a rock to trip over.* 2:8 Is 8:14,* 2:8 Is 8:14; Rm 9:33; 14:20

They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined  * 2:8 Ac 2:23; 4:27–28; Rm 9:22; 11:7; Jd 4 for this.

9 But you are a chosen race,* 2:9 Or generation, or nation,* 2:9 Dt 7:6; 10:15; Is 43:20 LXX,* 2:9 Dt 7:6; 10:15; Is 43:20a royal priesthood,* 2:9 Ex 19:6; 23:22 LXX; Is 61:6,* 2:9 Is 61:6; Rv 1:6; 5:10; 20:6a holy nation,* 2:9 Ex 19:6; 23:22 LXX ,* 2:9 Ex 19:6a people for his possession,* 2:9 Ex 19:5; 23:22 LXX; Dt 4:20; 7:6; Is 43:21 LXX,* 2:9 Ex 34:9; Dt 7:6; Ps 33:12; Is 43:21; Ti 2:14so that you may proclaim the praises* 2:9 Or the mighty deeds,* 2:9 Is 42:12; 43:21,* 2:9 Is 42:12; 43:21 of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  * 2:9 Is 9:2; Ac 26:18; Eph 5:8; Col 1:12–1310 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy,  * 2:10 Mt 5:7; Mk 5:19; Lk 1:50 but now you have received mercy.

A Call to Good Works

11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles  * 2:11 1Pt 1:1 to abstain  * 2:11 1Tm 4:3 from sinful  * 2:11 Rm 7:23; Php 3:3 desires that wage war against the soul.  * 2:11 Gl 5:17; Jms 4:112 Conduct  * 2:12 2Pt 3:11 yourselves honorably among the Gentiles,  * 2:12 Or among the nations, or among the pagans so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.  * 2:12 Is 10:3; Jr 6:15; 8:12; 10:15; Lk 1:68; 7:16; 19:44

13 Submit  * 2:13–14 Rm 13:1–7; Ti 3:1 to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor  * 2:13 Or king as the supreme authority  * 2:13 Rm 13:114 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will  * 2:15 Gl 1:4; Eph 1:9 that you silence the ignorance  * 2:15 1Pt 3:16 of foolish people by doing good. 16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil,  * 2:16 1Co 14:20 but as God’s slaves.  * 2:16 Rm 1:1; Ti 1:1; Rv 2:2017 Honor everyone. Love  * 2:17 Rv 12:11 the brothers and sisters.  * 2:17 Heb 13:1; 1Pt 5:9 Fear God.  * 2:17 Pr 1:7; 24:21; Ac 10:2; Rv 14:7 Honor the emperor.

Submission of Slaves to Masters

18 Household slaves, submit to your masters  * 2:18 Eph 6:5; Col 3:22; Ti 2:9; Jd 4 with all reverence  * 2:18 Rm 13:3,7 not only to the good and gentle ones but also to the cruel.  * 2:18 Php 2:1519 For it brings favor if, because of a consciousness of God, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if when you do wrong and are beaten, you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer,  * 2:20 1Pt 4:14 if you endure it, this brings favor with God.

21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered  * 2:21 Mk 8:31; 1Pt 3:18; 1Jn 3:16 for you, leaving you an example,  * 2:21 Jn 13:15 that you should follow  * 2:21 Jn 8:12 in his steps. 22 He did not commit sin,  * 2:22 1Pt 4:1; 1Jn 3:5and no deceit* 2:22 2Pt 2:1was found in his mouth;* 2:22 Is 53:9,* 2:22 Is 53:923 when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges  * 2:23 Rv 18:8; 19:11 justly. 24 He himself bore our sins  * 2:24 Heb 7:27–28; 9:27–28 in his body  * 2:24 Is 53:4–5,12; Jn 2:21 on the tree;  * 2:24 Ac 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Gl 3:13 so that, having died to sins,  * 2:24 Rm 6:2,8–11; 7:6; Gl 2:19; Col 2:20; 3:3 we might live for righteousness.  * 2:24 Rm 6:2,11; Ti 2:12By his wounds* 2:24 Is 53:5,* 2:24 Is 53:5; Mt 13:15; Jn 12:40; Ac 28:27you have been healed.25 For you were like sheep going astray,* 2:25 Is 53:6,* 2:25 Ps 119:176; Is 53:6 but you have now returned to the Shepherd  * 2:25 Gn 48:15; 49:24; Ps 23:1; Jr 31:10 and Overseer  * 2:25 Or Guardian of your souls.