1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

2 as newborn babies, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that you{+} may grow by it to salvation;

3 if you{+} have tasted that the Lord is gracious:

4 to whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious,

5 you{+} also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6 Because it is contained in Scripture, Look, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he who believes on him will not be put to shame.

7 For you{+} therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner;

8 and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: to which also they were appointed.

9 But you{+} are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God's] own possession, that you{+} may show forth the excellencies of him who called you{+} out of darkness into his marvelous light:

10 who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

11 Beloved, I urge you{+} as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly desires, which war against the soul;

12 having your{+} behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, in what they speak against you{+} as evildoers, they may by your{+} good works, which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

13 Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as supreme;

14 or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well.

15 For so is the will of God, that by doing good you{+} should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

16 as free, and not using your{+} freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as slaves of God.

17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

18 Household slaves, [be] in subjection to your{+} masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

19 For this is acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endures griefs, suffering wrongfully.

20 For what glory is it, if, when you{+} sin, and are buffeted [for it], you{+} will take it patiently? But if, when you{+} do good, and suffer [for it], you{+} will take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

21 For hereunto were you{+} called: because Christ also suffered for you{+}, leaving you{+} an example, that you{+} should follow his steps:

22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

23 who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered did not threaten; but delivered [himself] to him who judges righteously:

24 who his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you{+} were healed.

25 For you{+} were like sheep that go astray; but have now been returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your{+} souls.