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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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活石和聖潔的國度
1所以，你們要除去一切的惡毒，一切詭詐、假善、嫉妒，和一切毀謗的話。
2要愛慕那純淨的靈奶，像初生的嬰孩愛慕奶一樣，好使你們藉着它成長，以致得救，
3因為你們已經嘗過主恩的滋味。
4要親近主，他是活石，雖然被人所丟棄，卻是上帝所揀選、所珍貴的。
5你們作為活石，要被建造成屬靈的殿，成為聖潔的祭司，藉着耶穌基督獻上蒙上帝悅納的屬靈祭物。
6因為經上說：
「看哪，我把一塊石頭放在錫安－
一塊蒙揀選、珍貴的房角石；
信靠他的人必不蒙羞。」
7所以，這石頭在你們信的人是珍貴的；在那不信的人卻有話說：
「匠人所丟棄的石頭
已作了房角的頭塊石頭。」
8又說：
「作了絆腳的石頭，
使人跌倒的磐石。」
他們絆跌，因為不順從這道，這也是預定的。
9不過，你們是被揀選的一族，是君尊的祭司，是神聖的國度，是屬上帝的子民，要使你們宣揚那召你們出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。
10「你們從前不是子民，
現在卻成了上帝的子民；
從前未曾蒙憐憫，
現在卻蒙了憐憫。」
作上帝的僕人
11親愛的，你們是客旅，是寄居的，我勸你們要禁戒肉體的情慾；這情慾是與靈魂爭戰的。
12你們在外邦人中要品行端正，好讓那些人，雖然毀謗你們是作惡的，會因看見你們的好行為而在鑒察⚓的日子歸榮耀給上帝。
13你們為主的緣故要順服人的一切制度，或是在上的君王，
14或是君王所派懲惡賞善的官員。
15因為上帝的旨意原是要你們以行善來堵住糊塗無知人的口。
16雖然你們是自由的，卻不可藉着自由遮蓋惡毒，總要作上帝的僕人。
17務要尊重眾人；要敬愛教中的弟兄姊妹；要敬畏上帝；要尊敬君王。
基督受苦的榜樣
18你們作奴僕的，凡事要存敬畏的心順服主人；不但順服善良溫和的，就是乖僻的也要順服。
19倘若你們為使良心對得起上帝，忍受冤屈的痛苦，這是可讚許的。
20你們若因犯罪受責打而忍耐，有甚麼可稱讚的呢？但你們若因行善受苦而忍耐，這在上帝看來是可讚許的。
21你們蒙召就是為此，因為基督也為你們受過苦，給你們留下榜樣，為要使你們跟隨他的腳蹤。
22「他並沒有犯罪，
口裏也沒有詭詐。」
23他被辱罵不還口，受害也不說威嚇的話，只將自己交託給公義的審判者。
24他被掛在木頭上，親身擔當了我們的罪，使我們既然在罪上死，就得以在義上活。因他受的鞭傷，你們得了醫治。
25你們從前好像迷路的羊，如今卻歸回你們靈魂的牧人和監督了。