Peter's First Letter, Chapter 2
{2:1} Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit,
hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking, {2:2} as newborn babes,
long for the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby, {2:3}
if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious: {2:4} coming to
him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God,
precious. {2:5} 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. {2:6} 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."
{2:7} For you therefore who believe is the honor, but for such as
are disobedient,
"The stone which the builders rejected,
Has become the chief cornerstone,"
{2:8} and,
"A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense."
For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they
were appointed. {2:9} But you are a chosen 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: {2:10} who in time past were no people, but now are
God's people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
{2:11} Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from
fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; {2:12} having good behavior
among the nations, so in that which they speak against you as
evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God
in the day of visitation. {2:13} Therefore subject yourselves to every
ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as supreme;
{2:14} or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and
for praise to those who do well. {2:15} For this is the will of God,
that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish
men: {2:16} as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of
wickedness, but as bondservants of God.
{2:17} Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the
king. {2:18} Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear;
not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked. {2:19} For it
is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of
conscience toward God. {2:20} 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. {2:21} For to this you
were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving [1>]you[<1]
an example, that you should follow his steps, {2:22} who did not sin,
"neither was deceit found in his mouth." {2:23} Who, when he was
cursed, didn't curse back. When he suffered, didn't threaten, but
committed himself to him who judges righteously; {2:24} 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.
{2:25} For you were going astray like sheep; but are now returned to
the Shepherd and [2>]Overseer[<2] of your souls.
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Footnotes:
[1] {2:21} TR reads "us" instead of "you"
[2] {2:25} "Overseer" is from the Greek episkopon, which can mean
overseer, curator, guardian, or superintendent.
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