1 αποθεμενοι ουν πασαν κακιαν και παντα δολον και υποκρισεις και φθονους και πασας καταλαλιας
2 ως αρτιγεννητα βρεφη το λογικον αδολον γαλα επιποθησατε ινα εν αυτω αυξηθητε
3 ειπερ εγευσασθε οτι χρηστος ο κυριος
4 προς ον προσερχομενοι λιθον ζωντα υπο ανθρωπων μεν αποδεδοκιμασμενον παρα δε θεω εκλεκτον εντιμον
5 και αυτοι ως λιθοι ζωντες οικοδομεισθε οικος πνευματικος ιερατευμα αγιον ανενεγκαι πνευματικας θυσιας ευπροσδεκτους τω θεω δια ιησου χριστου
6 διο και περιεχει εν τη γραφη ιδου τιθημι εν σιων λιθον ακρογωνιαιον εκλεκτον εντιμον και ο πιστευων επ αυτω ου μη καταισχυνθη
7 υμιν ουν η τιμη τοις πιστευουσιν απειθουσιν δε λιθον ον απεδοκιμασαν οι οικοδομουντες ουτος εγενηθη εις κεφαλην γωνιας
8 και λιθος προσκομματος και πετρα σκανδαλου οι προσκοπτουσιν τω λογω απειθουντες εις ο και ετεθησαν
9 υμεις δε γενος εκλεκτον βασιλειον ιερατευμα εθνος αγιον λαος εις περιποιησιν οπως τας αρετας εξαγγειλητε του εκ σκοτους υμας καλεσαντος εις το θαυμαστον αυτου φως
10 οι ποτε ου λαος νυν δε λαος θεου οι ουκ ηλεημενοι νυν δε ελεηθεντες
11 αγαπητοι παρακαλω ως παροικους και παρεπιδημους απεχεσθαι των σαρκικων επιθυμιων αιτινες στρατευονται κατα της ψυχης
12 την αναστροφην υμων εν τοις εθνεσιν εχοντες καλην ινα εν ω καταλαλουσιν υμων ως κακοποιων εκ των καλων εργων εποπτευσαντες δοξασωσιν τον θεον εν ημερα επισκοπης
13 υποταγητε ουν παση ανθρωπινη κτισει δια τον κυριον ειτε βασιλει ως υπερεχοντι
14 ειτε ηγεμοσιν ως δι αυτου πεμπομενοις εις εκδικησιν μεν κακοποιων επαινον δε αγαθοποιων
15 οτι ουτως εστιν το θελημα του θεου αγαθοποιουντας φιμουν την των αφρονων ανθρωπων αγνωσιαν
16 ως ελευθεροι και μη ως επικαλυμμα εχοντες της κακιας την ελευθεριαν αλλ ως δουλοι θεου
17 παντας τιμησατε την αδελφοτητα αγαπατε τον θεον φοβεισθε τον βασιλεα τιματε
18 οι οικεται υποτασσομενοι εν παντι φοβω τοις δεσποταις ου μονον τοις αγαθοις και επιεικεσιν αλλα και τοις σκολιοις
19 τουτο γαρ χαρις ει δια συνειδησιν θεου υποφερει τις λυπας πασχων αδικως
20 ποιον γαρ κλεος ει αμαρτανοντες και κολαφιζομενοι υπομενειτε αλλ ει αγαθοποιουντες και πασχοντες υπομενειτε τουτο χαρις παρα θεω
21 εις τουτο γαρ εκληθητε οτι και χριστος επαθεν υπερ ημων ημιν υπολιμπανων υπογραμμον ινα επακολουθησητε τοις ιχνεσιν αυτου
22 ος αμαρτιαν ουκ εποιησεν ουδε ευρεθη δολος εν τω στοματι αυτου
23 ος λοιδορουμενος ουκ αντελοιδορει πασχων ουκ ηπειλει παρεδιδου δε τω κρινοντι δικαιως
24 ος τας αμαρτιας ημων αυτος ανηνεγκεν εν τω σωματι αυτου επι το ξυλον ινα ταις αμαρτιαις απογενομενοι τη δικαιοσυνη ζησωμεν ου τω μωλωπι αυτου ιαθητε
25 ητε γαρ ως προβατα πλανωμενα αλλ επεστραφητε νυν επι τον ποιμενα και επισκοπον των ψυχων υμων
1 So putting away all wrongdoing, and all tricks and deceits and envies and evil talk,
2 Be full of desire for the true milk of the word, as babies at their mothers' breasts, so that you may go on to salvation;
3 If you have had a taste of the grace of the Lord:
4 To whom you come, as to a living stone, not honoured by men, but of great and special value to God;
5 You, as living stones, are being made into a house of the spirit, a holy order of priests, making those offerings of the spirit which are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.
6 Because it is said in the Writings, See, I am placing a keystone in Zion, of great and special value; and the man who has faith in him will not be put to shame.
7 And the value is for you who have faith; but it is said for those without faith, The very stone which the builders put on one side, was made the chief stone of the building;
8 And, A stone of falling, a rock of trouble; the word is the cause of their fall, because they go against it, and this was the purpose of God.
9 But you are a special people, a holy nation, priests and kings, a people given up completely to God, so that you may make clear the virtues of him who took you out of the dark into the light of heaven.
10 In the past you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; then there was no mercy for you, but now mercy has been given to you.
11 My loved ones, I make this request with all my heart, that, as those for whom this world is a strange country, you will keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh which make war against the soul;
12 Being of good behaviour among the Gentiles; so that though they say now that you are evil-doers, they may see your good works and give glory to God when he comes to be their judge.
13 Keep all the laws of men because of the Lord; those of the king, who is over all,
14 And those of the rulers who are sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and for the praise of those who do well.
15 Because it is God's pleasure that foolish and narrow-minded men may be put to shame by your good behaviour:
16 As those who are free, not using your free position as a cover for wrongdoing, but living as the servants of God;
17 Have respect for all, loving the brothers, fearing God, honouring the king.
18 Servants, take orders from your masters with all respect; not only if they are good and gentle, but even if they are bad-humoured.
19 For it is a sign of grace if a man, desiring to do right in the eyes of God, undergoes pain as punishment for something which he has not done.
20 What credit is it if, when you have done evil, you take your punishment quietly? but if you are given punishment for doing right, and take it quietly, this is pleasing to God.
21 This is God's purpose for you: because Jesus himself underwent punishment for you, giving you an example, so that you might go in his footsteps:
22 Who did no evil, and there was no deceit in his mouth:
23 To sharp words he gave no sharp answer; when he was undergoing pain, no angry word came from his lips; but he put himself into the hands of the judge of righteousness:
24 He took our sins on himself, giving his body to be nailed on the tree, so that we, being dead to sin, might have a new life in righteousness, and by his wounds we have been made well.
25 Because, like sheep, you had gone out of the way; but now you have come back to him who keeps watch over your souls.