1 Peter 2
New King James Version

Our Inheritance Through Christ’s Blood

2 Therefore,^(A)laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,²^(B)as newborn babes, desire the pure^(C)milk of the word, that you may grow^[a]thereby,³if indeed you have^(D)tasted that the Lordisgracious.

The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People^(E)

⁴Coming to Himas toa living stone,^(F)rejected indeed by men, but chosen by Godandprecious,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,

^(G)“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 isprecious; but to those who^[b]are disobedient,

^(H)“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”

⁸and

^(I)“A stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense.”

^(J)They stumble, being disobedient to the word,^(K)to which they also were appointed.

⁹But youarea 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^(L)darkness into His marvelous light;¹⁰^(M)who oncewerenot a people butarenow the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Living Before the World

¹¹Beloved, I begyouas sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts^(N)which war against the soul,¹²^(O)having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers,^(P)they may, byyourgood works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Submission to Government^(Q)

¹³^(R)Therefore submit yourselves to every^[c]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 andfor thepraise 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^(S)as free, yet not^(T)using liberty as a cloak for^[d]vice, but as bondservants of God.¹⁷Honor allpeople.Love the brotherhood. Fear^(U)God. Honor the king.

Submission to Masters^(V)

¹⁸^(W)Servants,besubmissive toyourmasters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.¹⁹For thisis^(X)commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.²⁰For^(Y)what creditis itif, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, thisiscommendable before God.²¹For^(Z)to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for^[e]us,^(AA)leaving^[f]us an example, that you should follow His steps:

²²“Who^(AB)committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

²³^(AC)who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but^(AD)committedHimselfto Him who judges righteously;²⁴^(AE)who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree,^(AF)that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—^(AG)by whose^[g]stripes you were healed.²⁵For^(AH)you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned^(AI)to the Shepherd and^[h]Overseer of your souls.