1 Therefore, *Heb. 12:1laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 *(Matt. 18:3; 19:14; Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17); 1 Cor. 14:20as newborn babes, desire the pure *1 Cor. 3:2milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have *Ps. 34:8; Titus 3:4; Heb. 6:5tasted that the Lord is gracious.

4 Coming to Him asto a living stone, *Ps. 118:22rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

*Is. 28:16; Rom. 9:32, 33; 10:11; 1 Pet. 2:8"Behold, I lay in Zion

A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,

And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."

7 Therefore, to you who believe, Heis precious; but to those who are disobedient,

*Ps. 118:22; Matt. 21:42; Luke 2:34"The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone,"

8 and

*Is. 8:14"A stone of stumbling

And a rock of offense."

*1 Cor. 1:23; Gal. 5:11They stumble, being disobedient to the word, *Rom. 9:22to which they also were appointed.

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of *Is. 9:2; 42:16; (Acts 26:18; 2 Cor. 4:6)darkness into His marvelous light; 10 *Hos. 1:9, 10; 2:23; Rom. 9:25; 10:19who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts *(Rom. 8:13); Gal. 5:17; James 4:1which war against the soul, 12 *2 Cor. 8:21; Phil. 2:15; Titus 2:8; 1 Pet. 2:15; 3:16having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, *Matt. 5:16; 9:8; John 13:31; 1 Pet. 4:11, 16they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

13 *Matt. 22:21Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and forthe praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 *Rom. 6:14, 20, 22; 1 Cor. 7:22; (Gal. 5:1)as free, yet not *Gal. 5:13using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear *Prov. 24:21God. Honor the king.

18 *Eph. 6:5–8Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is*Matt. 5:10commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For *Luke 6:32–34what credit isit if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For *Matt. 16:24; 1 Thess. 3:3, 4to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, *(1 John 2:6)leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

22 "Who *Is. 53:9; 2 Cor. 5:21committed no sin,

Nor was deceit found in His mouth";

23 *Is. 53:7; Heb. 12:3; 1 Pet. 3:9who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but *Luke 23:46committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 *Is. 53:4, 11; 1 Cor. 15:3; (Heb. 9:28)who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, *Rom. 7:6that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—*Is. 53:5by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For *Is. 53:5, 6you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned *Is. 40:11; (Ezek. 34:23); Zech. 13:7to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.