1 Peter 2

1 Putting away, therefore, all vice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envyings and all detractions,

Now that you have done with all malice, all deceitfulness, insincerity, jealous feelings, and all back-biting,

2 As new-born babes, for the pure milk that is for the mind, eagerly crave, that, thereby, ye may grow unto salvation: —

like newly born infants, crave pure spiritual milk, so that you may be enabled by it to grow till you attain Salvation —

3 If ye have tasted for yourselves that, gracious, is the Lord, —

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

4 Unto whom coming near, as unto a living stone—by men, indeed, rejected, but, with God, chosen, held in honour,

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

5 Yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, well-pleasing unto God 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 Inasmuch as it is contained in scripture—Lo! I lay in Zion an outmost corner stone, chosen, held in honour, and, he that resteth faith thereupon, shall not be put to shame.

For there is a passage of Scripture that runs — ‘See, I am placing in Zion a choice and precious corner-stone; And he who believes in him shall have no cause for shame.’

7 Unto you, then, is the honour—[unto you] who believe; but, unto such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, —The same, hath become head of the corner,

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 And a stone to strike against, and a rock to stumble over: Who stumble because, unto the word, they do not yield, —unto which also they have been appointed;

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

9 But, ye, are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a peculiar treasure, that, the excellences, ye may tell forth, of him who, out of darkness, hath called you into his marvellous light: —

But you are ‘a chosen race, 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 Who, at one time, were a No-people, but, now, are a people of God, —who had not been enjoying mercy, but, now, 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 Beloved! I exhort you, as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly covetings, such as take the field against the soul;

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

12 Having, your behaviour among the nations, honourable, —in order that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may, owing to the honourable works they are permitted to behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

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

13 Submit yourselves unto every human creation, for the Lord’s sake, —whether unto a king, as one that protecteth,

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

14 Or unto governors, as, through him, sent—for vengeance on evil-doers, but praise to such as do good;

and to governors as the men sent by him to punish evil-doers and to commend those who do right.

15 Because, so, is the will of God, —by doing good, to be putting to silence, the ignorance of heedless men:

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

16 As free, yet, not as a cloak of vice, holding your freedom, but, as God’s servants.

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

17 Unto all men, give honour, unto the brotherhood, shew love, unto God, give reverence, the king, hold in honour.

Show honour to every one, Love the Brotherhood, ‘revere God, honour the emperor.’

18 Ye domestics, submitting yourselves, in all reverence, unto your masters, —not only unto the good and considerate, but also unto the perverse;

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 thankworthy, —If, for the sake of conscience towards God, one beareth griefs, suffering wrongfully, —

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

20 For what sort of honour is it—if, committing sin, and being buffeted, ye endure it? But, if, doing good, and suffering, ye endure it, this, is thankworthy with God.

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 For, hereunto, have ye been called; because, Christ also, suffered in your behalf, unto you, leaving behind a pattern, that ye might follow in his steps:

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 Who did not, a sin, commit, neither was deceit found in his mouth, —

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

23 Who, being reviled, was not reviling again, suffering, he was not threatening, but was making surrender unto him that judgeth righteously, —

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 Who, our sins, himself, bare up, in his body, unto the tree, in order that we, from our sins getting away, in righteousness, might live, —by whose stripes, ye have been 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 For ye were as sheep going astray, but have now turned back unto the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

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