1 *Eph. 4:22,25,31;Col. 3:8So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 *See Matt. 18:3Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual *1 Cor. 3:2;Heb. 5:12,13milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have *Ps. 34:8;Heb. 6:5tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, a living stone *ver. 6, 7rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 *Eph. 2:20-22;[1 Cor. 3:9] you yourselves like living stones are being built up as *Heb. 3:4,6a spiritual house, to be *ver. 9a holy priesthood, *Isa. 56:7;Mal. 1:11;Rom. 12:1;Heb. 13:15to offer spiritual sacrifices *Rom. 15:16;Phil. 4:18acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

*Cited from Isa. 28:16"Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,

a cornerstone chosen and precious,

*Rom. 9:33;10:11and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."

7 So the honor is for you who *[2 Cor. 2:16] believe, but for those who *[2 Cor. 2:16] do not believe,

*Cited from Ps. 118:22"The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,"*2:7 Greek the head of the corner

8 and

*Rom. 9:33;Cited from Isa. 8:14"A stone of stumbling,

and a rock of offense."

They stumble because they disobey the word, *[Rom. 9:22;Jude 4]as they were destined to do.

9 But you are *Deut. 10:15;Isa. 43:20a chosen race, *Ex. 19:6;Rev. 1:6;5:10a royal *Isa. 61:6;66:21priesthood, *Deut. 7:6a holy nation, *Ex. 19:5;Deut. 7:6;Isa. 43:21;Mal. 3:17a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you *[Isa. 42:16]; See Acts 26:18out of darkness into *Ps. 36:9his marvelous light. 10 *Hos. 1:6,9,10;2:23;Rom. 9:25,26;10:19Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11 Beloved, I urge you *See Lev. 25:23as sojourners and exiles *Rom. 13:14;Gal. 5:24to abstain from the passions of the flesh, *James 4:1which wage war against your soul. 12 *[ch. 3:16;2 Cor. 8:21;Phil. 2:15;Titus 2:8] Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, *Matt. 5:16;2 Cor. 9:13;Gal. 1:24they may see your good deeds and glorify God on *Isa. 10:3;Luke 19:44the day of visitation.

13 *Rom. 13:1;Titus 3:1Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,*2:13 Or every institution ordained for people whether it be to the emperor*2:13 Or king; also verse 17 as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him *Rom. 13:4to punish those who do evil and *Rom. 13:3to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, *ver. 12that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 *See James 1:25Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but *1 Cor. 7:22;[Rom. 6:22]living as servants*2:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface of God. 17 *Rom. 12:10;13:7Honor everyone. *See Heb. 13:1Love the brotherhood. *Prov. 24:21Fear God. Honor the emperor.

18 *Eph. 6:5;Col. 3:22;1 Tim. 6:1;Titus 2:9Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.*2:18 Or crooked19 For this is a gracious thing, when, *ch. 3:14,17;[ch. 4:16]mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But *ch. 3:17,18;4:13,16if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For *ch. 3:9;See Acts 14:22to this you have been called, *[See ver. 20above] because Christ also suffered for you, *See Matt. 11:29leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 *Isa. 53:9;[2 Cor. 5:21;Heb. 4:15;1 John 3:5]He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 *ch. 3:9;Isa. 53:7;Heb. 12:3When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, *Luke 23:46but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 *Isa. 53:4,11;Matt. 8:17;Heb. 9:28He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we *Rom. 6:2,11;7:4,6;Col. 2:20;3:3might die to sin and *Rom. 6:13live to righteousness. *Isa. 53:5By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For *Isa. 53:6;[Ps. 119:176;Ezek. 34:6;Luke 15:4] you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to *See John 10:11the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.