¹ Therefore, having put off all evil and all deceit and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speaking,

² as newborn babes, long for the genuine intellectual milk, so that ye may grow by it,

³ if indeed ye have tasted that the Lord is excellent.

⁴ Coming to whom, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but with God chosen, precious,

⁵ ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

⁶ It is therefore contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, chosen, precious. And he who believes in him will, no, not be shamed.

⁷ To you therefore who believe is the preciousness, but for men who disobey, A stone that the builders rejected, this became the head of the corner,

⁸ and, A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, men who stumble at the word, being disobedient, for which also they were set.

⁹ But ye are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for an acquired possession, so that ye might broadly proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

¹⁰ Men formerly not a people, but now are a people of God. Men who had not obtained mercy, but who now have obtained mercy.

¹¹ Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and sojourners, to abstain from the fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.

¹² Having your behavior good among the Gentiles, so that, upon which they speak against you as evildoers, they may glorify God in the day of visitation, from having observed your good works.

¹³ Therefore because of the Lord, ye should submit to every human establishment, whether to a king as being supreme,

¹⁴ or to governors as being sent by him for vengeance of evildoers and praise of well-doers.

¹⁵ Because this way is the will of God, doing good to muzzle the ignorance of the foolish men.

¹⁶ As free, and not having your freedom as a cover-up of evil, but as bondmen of God.

¹⁷ Respect all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Respect the king.

¹⁸ Household servants, submitting to the masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wayward.

¹⁹ For this is graciousness, if, because of consciousness of God, any man endures sorrows, suffering wrongfully.

²⁰ For what kind of credit is it, if, sinning and being beaten, ye will endure? But if, doing good and suffering, ye will endure, this is graciousness with God.

²¹ For ye were called for this. Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, so that ye should follow his footsteps.

²² Who did no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth.

²³ Who, being reviled, did not revile in return. Suffering, he did not threaten, but yielded to him who judges righteously.

²⁴ Who himself took up our sins in his body upon the tree, so that we, having died to sins, might live to the righteousness of him from whose wound ye were healed.

²⁵ For ye were like sheep going astray, but now were returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.