Shared Word Translation
1 Peter 2
A Living Stone and a Holy People
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and precious in the sight of God,
you yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Living as Servants of God
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which wage war against the soul. Keep your conduct among the nations honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
The Example of Christ's Suffering
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.