1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk, that with it you may grow, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4 Come to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious. 5 You also as living stones are built up as 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,

"Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen and precious.

He who believes in him will not be disappointed."

7 For you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who are disobedient,

"The stone which the builders rejected

has become the chief cornerstone,"

8 and,

"a stumbling stone and a rock of offense."

For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 In the past, you were not a people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

11 Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God in the day of visitation.

13 Therefore subject yourselves 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 this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Live as free people, yet not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.

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

18 Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked. 19 For it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God. 20 For what glory is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if when you do well, you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God. 21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps, 22 who didn’t sin, "neither was deceit found in his mouth." 23 When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds. 25 For you were going astray like sheep; but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

1 Having therefore left all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all murmurings,

2 as newborn babes, desire the rational milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby in health;

3 if so be ye have tasted that the Lord [is] benevolent;

4 coming unto whom (is the living Stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, [and] precious),

5 ye also, as living stones, [are] built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, well pleasing to God by Jesus, the Christ.

6 Therefore, also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion the chief corner stone, chosen, precious; and he that believes on him shall not be confounded.

7 Unto you, therefore, who believe [he is] precious; but unto those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

8 and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, [even to those] who stumble at the word, not obeying in that for which they were ordained.

9 But ye are the chosen generation, [a] royal priesthood, [a] holy nation, [an] acquired people, that ye should show forth the virtues of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

10 Ye who in the time past [were] not a people, but [are] now the people of God, who in the time past had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

11 Dearly beloved, I beseech [you] as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from the carnal desires which war against the soul

12 and have your honest conversation among the Gentiles, so that, in that which they murmur about you as of evildoers, having witnessed [your] good works, they may glorify God in the day of visitation.

13 Therefore, be subject to every human ordinance [that is] of the Lord, whether it be to a king or to a superior,

14 and unto governors as unto those that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those that do well.

15 For this is the will of God, that [in] well doing ye may silence the ignorance of vain men,

16 as being free, yet not using [your] liberty to cover maliciousness, but as servants of God.

17 Honour all [men]. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

18 Servants, [be] subject to [your] masters with all fear, not only to the good and humane, but also to the unjust.

19 For this [is] due to grace, if a man for conscience toward God endures grief, suffering wrongfully.

20 For what glory [is it] if, when ye are buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well and suffer [for it], ye take it patiently, this [is] due to grace from God.

21 Because for this were ye called: for the Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps

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

23 who, when he was cursed, did not return the curse; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed [himself] to him that judges righteously;

24 he himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose wound ye were healed.

25 For ye were as sheep that had gone astray, but are now converted unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.: