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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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活石和圣洁的国度
1所以，你们要除去一切的恶毒，一切诡诈、假善、嫉妒，和一切毁谤的话。
2要爱慕那纯净的灵奶，像初生的婴孩爱慕奶一样，好使你们藉着它成长，以致得救，
3因为你们已经尝过主恩的滋味。
4要亲近主，他是活石，虽然被人所丢弃，却是上帝所拣选、所珍贵的。
5你们作为活石，要被建造成属灵的殿，成为圣洁的祭司，藉着耶稣基督献上蒙上帝悦纳的属灵祭物。
6因为经上说：
“看哪，我把一块石头放在锡安—
一块蒙拣选、珍贵的房角石；
信靠他的人必不蒙羞。”
7所以，这石头在你们信的人是珍贵的；在那不信的人却有话说：
“匠人所丢弃的石头
已作了房角的头块石头。”
8又说：
“作了绊脚的石头，
使人跌倒的磐石。”
他们绊跌，因为不顺从这道，这也是预定的。
9不过，你们是被拣选的一族，是君尊的祭司，是神圣的国度，是属上帝的子民，要使你们宣扬那召你们出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。
10“你们从前不是子民，
现在却成了上帝的子民；
从前未曾蒙怜悯，
现在却蒙了怜悯。”
作上帝的仆人
11亲爱的，你们是客旅，是寄居的，我劝你们要禁戒肉体的情欲；这情欲是与灵魂争战的。
12你们在外邦人中要品行端正，好让那些人，虽然毁谤你们是作恶的，会因看见你们的好行为而在鉴察⚓的日子归荣耀给上帝。
13你们为主的缘故要顺服人的一切制度，或是在上的君王，
14或是君王所派惩恶赏善的官员。
15因为上帝的旨意原是要你们以行善来堵住糊涂无知人的口。
16虽然你们是自由的，却不可藉着自由遮盖恶毒，总要作上帝的仆人。
17务要尊重众人；要敬爱教中的弟兄姊妹；要敬畏上帝；要尊敬君王。
基督受苦的榜样
18你们作奴仆的，凡事要存敬畏的心顺服主人；不但顺服善良温和的，就是乖僻的也要顺服。
19倘若你们为使良心对得起上帝，忍受冤屈的痛苦，这是可赞许的。
20你们若因犯罪受责打而忍耐，有什么可称赞的呢？但你们若因行善受苦而忍耐，这在上帝看来是可赞许的。
21你们蒙召就是为此，因为基督也为你们受过苦，给你们留下榜样，为要使你们跟随他的脚踪。
22“他并没有犯罪，
口里也没有诡诈。”
23他被辱骂不还口，受害也不说威吓的话，只将自己交托给公义的审判者。
24他被挂在木头上，亲身担当了我们的罪，使我们既然在罪上死，就得以在义上活。因他受的鞭伤，你们得了医治。
25你们从前好像迷路的羊，如今却归回你们灵魂的牧人和监督了。