1 Peter 2

1 So give up all the evil things that you do: all your dishonesty, hypocrisy, and jealousy, all the ways you speak badly about others.

Now that you have done with all malice, all deceitfulness, insincerity, jealous feelings, and all backbiting,

2 You should become like newborn babies who only want pure spiritual milk, so you can grow in salvation

like newly born infants, crave pure spiritual milk, so that you may be enabled by it to grow until you attain salvation –

3 now you've tasted how good the Lord really is.

since ‘you have found by experience that the Lord is kind.’

4 As you come to him—the living stone that people rejected as useless, but is chosen by God and precious to him—

Come to him, then, as to a living stone, rejected, indeed, by men, but in God’s eyes choice and precious;

5 you also become like living stones, being built into a spiritual house. You are a holy priesthood that offers spiritual sacrifices that God welcomes through Jesus Christ.

and, as living stones, form yourselves into a spiritual house, to be a consecrated priesthood, for the offering of spiritual sacrifices that will be acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6 As Scripture says, “See! I'm setting in Zion its main cornerstone, specially-chosen and valuable. Whoever trusts in him will not be disappointed.”

For there is a passage of scripture that runs – ‘See, I am placing in Zion a choice and precious cornerstone; and those who believe in him will have no cause for shame.’

7 He is very valuable to you who do trust. But for those who don't, “The stone the builders rejected that became the main cornerstone”

It is to you, then, who believe in him that he is precious, but to those who do not believe he is ‘a stone which, though rejected by the builders, has now itself become the corner-stone,’

8 is “The stone that trips you up and the rock that makes you fall.” People stumble over this message because they refuse to accept it—which for them is entirely predictable.

and ‘a stumbling-block, and a rock which will prove a hindrance.’ They stumble because they do not accept the message. This was the fate destined for them.

9 In complete contrast, you are a specially-chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. Consequently you can reveal the wonderful things he's done, calling you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

But you are ‘a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, God’s own people,’ entrusted with the proclamation of the goodness of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

10 In the past you were nobodies, but now you are God's people. In the past you hadn't received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Once you were ‘not a people,’ but now you are ‘God’s people’; once you ‘had not found mercy,’ but now you ‘have found mercy.’

11 My friends, I'm pleading with you as foreigners and strangers in this world not to give in to physical desires that are in conflict with what is spiritual.

Dear friends, I beg you, as pilgrims and strangers on earth, to refrain from indulging the cravings of your earthly nature, for they make war on the soul.

12 Be sure to act appropriately when you're with non-Christians, so even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see the good things you do and glorify God when he comes.

Let your daily life among the Gentiles be so upright, that, whenever they malign you as evildoers, they may learn, as they watch, from the uprightness of your conduct, to praise God ‘at the time when he will visit them.’

13 Obey human authority for the Lord's sake, whether it is the king as the highest authority,

Submit to all human institutions for the Lord’s sake, alike to the emperor as the supreme authority,

14 or governors that God appoints to punish those who do evil and to commend those who do good.

and to governors as sent by him to punish evildoers and to commend those who do right.

15 By doing what is good and right God wants you to silence the ignorant accusations of foolish people.

For God’s will is this – that you should silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing what is right.

16 Yes, you are free people! So don't use your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but live as God's servants.

Act as free people, yet not using your freedom as those do who make it a cloak for wickedness, but as Servants of God.

17 Respect everyone. Show your love to the community of believers. Have reverence for God. Respect the king.

Show honor to everyone, love the Lord’s followers, ‘revere God, honor the emperor.’

18 If you are a servant then submit to your master—not just those who are good and kind, but those who are harsh masters as well.

Those of you who are domestic servants should always be submissive and respectful to their masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are arbitrary.

19 For this is what grace is: to endure life's pain and unfair suffering, keeping your focus on God.

For this wins God’s approval when, because conscious of God’s presence, a person who is suffering unjustly bears their troubles patiently.

20 However, there's no credit when you're punished for doing something wrong. But if you suffer for doing what is good and right, and you put up with it, then God's grace is with you.

What credit can you claim when, after doing wrong, you take your punishment for it patiently? But, on the other hand, if, after doing right, you take your sufferings patiently, that does win the approval of God.

21 In fact this is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and gave you an example, so you should follow in his footsteps.

For it was to this that you were called! For Christ, too, suffered – on your behalf – and left you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

22 He never sinned, he never lied;

He ‘never sinned, nor was anything deceitful ever heard from his lips.’

23 and when he was badly treated, he didn't retaliate. When he suffered, he didn't threaten to take revenge. He simply placed himself in the hands of the one who always judges rightly.

He was abused, but he did not answer with abuse; he suffered, but he did not threaten; he entrusted himself to him whose judgments are just.

24 He took the consequences of our sins on himself in his body on the cross, so that we could die to sin and live rightly. “By his wounds you are healed.”

And he ‘himself carried our sins’ in his own body to the cross, so that we might die to our sins, and live for righteousness. ‘His bruising was your healing.’

25 At one time you were like sheep who had lost their way, but now you've returned to the Shepherd—the one who watches over you.

Once you were straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.