| 1 | Having put aside, then, all evil, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envyings, and all evil speakings, |
| 2 | as new-born babes the word`s pure milk desire ye, that in it ye may grow, |
| 3 | if so be ye did taste that the Lord [is] gracious, |
| 4 | to whom coming -- a living stone -- by men, indeed, having been disapproved of, but with God choice, precious, |
| 5 | and ye yourselves, as living stones, are built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. |
| 6 | Wherefore, also, it is contained in the Writing: `Lo, I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone, choice, precious, and he who is believing on him may not be put to shame;` |
| 7 | to you, then, who are believing [is] the preciousness; and to the unbelieving, a stone that the builders disapproved of, this one did become for the head of a corner, |
| 8 | and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence -- who are stumbling at the word, being unbelieving, -- to which also they were set; |
| 9 | and ye [are] a choice race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired, that the excellences ye may shew forth of Him who out of darkness did call you to His wondrous light; |
| 10 | who [were] once not a people, and [are] now the people of God; who had not found kindness, and now have found kindness. |
| 11 | Beloved, I call upon [you], as strangers and sojourners, to keep from the fleshly desires, that war against the soul, |
| 12 | having your behaviour among the nations right, that in that which they speak against you as evil-doers, of the good works having beheld, they may glorify God in a day of inspection. |
| 13 | Be subject, then, to every human creation, because of the Lord, whether to a king, as the highest, |
| 14 | whether to governors, as to those sent through him, for punishment, indeed, of evil-doers, and a praise of those doing good; |
| 15 | because, so is the will of God, doing good, to put to silence the ignorance of the foolish men; |
| 16 | as free, and not having the freedom as the cloak of the evil, but as servants of God; |
| 17 | to all give ye honour; the brotherhood love ye; God fear ye; the king honour ye. |
| 18 | The domestics! be subjecting yourselves in all fear to the masters, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the cross; |
| 19 | for this [is] gracious, if because of conscience toward God any one doth endure sorrows, suffering unrighteously; |
| 20 | for what renown [is it], if sinning and being buffeted, ye do endure [it]? but if, doing good and suffering [for it], ye do endure, this [is] gracious with God, |
| 21 | for to this ye were called, because Christ also did suffer for you, leaving to you an example, that ye may follow his steps, |
| 22 | who did not commit sin, nor was guile found in his mouth, |
| 23 | who being reviled -- was not reviling again, suffering -- was not threatening, and was committing himself to Him who is judging righteously, |
| 24 | who our sins himself did bear in his body, upon the tree, that to the sins having died, to the righteousness we may live; by whose stripes ye were healed, |
| 25 | for ye were as sheep going astray, but ye turned back now to the shepherd and overseer of your souls. |
