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¹Therefore, ⚓laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ²⚓as newborn babes, desire the pure ⚓milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, ³if indeed you have ⚓tasted that the Lord is gracious.

The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People

⁴Coming to Him as to a living stone, ⚓rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,
⚓“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
⁷Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,
⚓“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”
⁸and
⚓“A stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense.”
⚓They stumble, being disobedient to the word, ⚓to which they also were appointed.
⁹But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of ⚓darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰⚓who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Living Before the World

¹¹Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts ⚓which war against the soul, ¹²⚓having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, ⚓they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Submission to Government

¹³⚓Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, ¹⁴or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— ¹⁶⚓as free, yet not ⚓using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. ¹⁷Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear ⚓God. Honor the king.

Submission to Masters

¹⁸⚓Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. ¹⁹For this is⚓commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. ²⁰For ⚓what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. ²¹For ⚓to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, ⚓leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
²²“Who ⚓committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
²³⚓who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but ⚓committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴⚓who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, ⚓that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—⚓by whose stripes you were healed. ²⁵For ⚓you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned ⚓to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

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¹Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. ²Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, ³now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house⚓ to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”⚓
⁷Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”⚓
⁸and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”⚓
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. ¹²Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
¹³Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. ¹⁵For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. ¹⁶Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. ¹⁷Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
¹⁸Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. ¹⁹For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. ²⁰But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. ²¹To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
²²“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”⚓
²³When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ²⁴“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” ²⁵For “you were like sheep going astray,”⚓ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.