1 Peter 2

1So get rid of all hate, all lying, all pretending, all jealousy, and all evil words.

2Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of God's word, so that by it you may grow up into salvation,

3Now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4Come to Christ, the living stone. People rejected Christ, but God chose Christ and treasures Christ.

5And you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house. You are a holy group of priests, offering spiritual sacrifices that please God through Jesus Christ.

6For the Scripture says: Look, I am laying a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone. The one who trusts in Christ will never be put to shame.

7So to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe: The stone the builders threw away has become the most important stone,

8And: A stone that makes people trip, a rock that makes them fall. They trip because they do not obey the message — which is what was bound to happen to them.

9But you are a chosen people, a royal group of priests, a holy nation, a people who belong to God. God chose you so that you could tell others about the wonderful things God has done — the One who called you out of darkness into God's marvelous light.

10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11Dear friends, you are like strangers and travelers in this world. So I beg you to stay away from sinful desires, which fight against your soul.

12Live good lives among those who do not believe. Then, even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your good deeds and give glory to God on the day he comes.

13For the Lord's sake, obey every human authority: whether the king, as the highest authority,

14Or the governors, who are sent by the king to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.

15For it is God's will that by doing good you will silence the foolish talk of people who do not understand.

16Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for doing evil. Live as servants of God.

17Show proper respect to everyone. Love your fellow believers. Have deep respect for God. Honor the king.

18Servants, obey your masters with full respect — not only those who are good and gentle, but also those who are harsh.

19For it deserves praise when someone, because of that person's awareness of God, puts up with the pain of suffering unfairly.

20But there is no credit in taking a beating for doing wrong. Yet if you suffer for doing good and you put up with it, this pleases God.

21This is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example to follow in his steps.

22He never sinned, and no lie was ever found in his mouth.

23When people insulted him, he did not insult them back. When he suffered, he did not threaten. Instead, he trusted himself to God, who judges fairly.

24Christ himself carried our sins in his own body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you have been healed.

25For you were like sheep going the wrong way, but now you have come back to the Shepherd who watches over your souls.