Therefore, put away all malice, and all deceit, and hypocrisy, and envy, and all slander.
Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you grow up in your salvation
now that you have tasted that the Lord is kind.
And coming to him, a living stone rejected by people but chosen and precious in the sight of God,
you yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For it stands in Scripture: Look! I lay in Zion a chosen and precious cornerstone. And whoever believes in him will absolutely not be put to shame.
This precious stone, then, is for you who believe; but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,
and a stone over which they stumble, and a rock over which they fall. They stumble because they are disobedient to the word; to this result they were also appointed.
But you are a chosen people,a royal priesthood,a holy nation,a people for God’s own possession, so that you can proclaim the glorious attributes of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
At one time you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; at one time you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and temporary residents, to keep away from fleshly desires that wage war against the soul,
and make sure your way of life among the Gentiles is good, so that in a case when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submission to Authority
Submit to every human institution for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme,
or to governors as sent by him to punish evildoers and to praise those who do what is good.
For doing this is the will of God. By doing what is good you put to silence the ignorance of senseless people.
Live as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but live as slaves of God.
Show honor to all! Love the family of believers! Fear God! Honor the king!
Household servants, submit to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and reasonable, but also to the cruel.
For this finds favor with God: if someone suffering unjustly endures pain because of their conscious awareness of God’s will.
For what credit is it if when you sin and receive a beating, you patiently endure it? But if when you are doing what is good and suffer for it, you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you follow in his footsteps.
He did not commit sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth.
When he was insulted, he did not give an insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to the one who judges righteously.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we, having died to sins, could live to righteousness, by whose wounds you were healed.
For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have turned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.