THE LIVING STONE AND A HOLY PEOPLE

2 Therefore, rid yourselves ofa all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.b 2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word,E,c so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, 3 if you have tastedd that the Lord is good.F,e 4 As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored byG God—5 you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthoodH to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Godf through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

See, I lay a stone in Zion,g

a chosen and honoredI cornerstone,h

and the one who believes in him

will never be put to shame.J,i

7 So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected—

this one has become the cornerstone,K,j

8 and

A stone to stumble over,

and a rock to trip over.L,k

They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destinedl for this.

9 But you are a chosen race,M,N,m a royal priesthood,O,n a holy nation,P,o a people for his possession,Q,p so that you may proclaim the praisesR,S,q of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.r 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy,s but now you have received mercy.

A CALL TO GOOD WORKS

11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exilest to abstainu from sinfulv desires that wage war against the soul.w 12 Conductx yourselves honorably among the Gentiles,A so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.y

13 Submitz to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperorB as the supreme authorityaa 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s willab that you silence the ignoranceac of foolish people by doing good. 16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil,ad but as God’s slaves.ae 17 Honor everyone. Loveaf the brothers and sisters.ag Fear God.ah Honor the emperor.

SUBMISSION OF SLAVES TO MASTERS

18 Household slaves, submit to your mastersai with all reverenceaj not only to the good and gentle ones but also to the cruel.ak 19 For it brings favor if, because of a consciousness of God, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if when you do wrong and are beaten, you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer,al if you endure it, this brings favor with God.

21 For you were called to this, because Christ also sufferedam for you, leaving you an example,an that you should followao in his steps. 22 He did not commit sin,ap and no deceitaq was found in his mouth;C,ar 23 when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judgesas justly. 24 He himself bore our sinsat in his bodyau on the tree;av so that, having died to sins,aw we might live for righteousness.ax By his woundsD,ay you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray,E,az but you have now returned to the Shepherdba and OverseerF of your souls.

WIVES AND HUSBANDS

3 In the same way, wives,bb submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the word,bc they may be won overbd without a word by the way their wives livebe 2 when they observe your pure, reverent lives.bf 3 Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes,bg 4 but rather what is inside the heartG,bh—the imperishable quality of a gentlebi and quietbj spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For in the past, the holybk women who put their hopebl in God also adorned themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, 6 just as Saraha obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and do not fear any intimidation.b

7 Husbands,c in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner,d showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

DO NO EVIL

8 Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another,e and be compassionatef and humble,A 9 not paying back evil for evilg or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing,h since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.

10 For thei one who wants to love life

and to see good days,

let him keep his tongue from evilj

and his lips from speaking deceit,k

11 and let him turn awayl from evil

and do what is good.

Let him seek peacem and pursue it,

12 because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous

and his ears are open to their prayer.

But the face of the Lord is against

those who do what is evil.B

UNDESERVED SUFFERING

13 Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness,n you are blessed. Do not fear themC,o or be intimidated,D,p 15 but in your hearts regardE ChristF the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.q 16 Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience,r so that when you are accused,G those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffers for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

18 For Christ also sufferedt for sins once for all,u the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God.v He was put to death in the fleshH,w but made alive by the Spirit,I 19 in whichJ he also went and made proclamation to the spiritsx in prison 20 who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noahy while the ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight peopleK,z—were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body,aa but the pledgeL of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,ab 22 who has gone into heavenac and is at the right hand of Godad with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.ae

FOLLOWING CHRIST

4 Therefore, since Christ sufferedM in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same understandingN—because the one who suffers in the flesh is finishedaf with sinO—2 in order to live the remaining time in the flesh no longer for human desires, but for God’s will.ag 3 For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the Gentiles choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires,ah drunkenness, orgies,ai carousing, and lawless idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you don’t join them in the same flood of wild living—and they slanderA you. 5 They will give an account to the one who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.aj 6 For this reason the gospel was also preached to those who are now dead,B,ak so that, although they might be judged in the flesh according to human standards,al they might liveam in the spirit according to God’s standards.

END-TIME ETHICS

7 The end of all things is near;an therefore, be alert and sober-mindedao for prayer. 8 Above all, maintain constant loveap for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.C,aq 9 Be hospitablear to one another without complaining. 10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others,as as good stewards of the varied grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides,at so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

CHRISTIAN SUFFERING

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you.a 13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ,b so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.c 14 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ,d you are blessed, because the Spirite of glory and of GodD rests on you. 15 Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler.E 16 But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name.F 17 For the time has come for judgmentf to begin with God’s household,g and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?

18 And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty,

what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?G,h

19 So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselvesi to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.

ABOUT THE ELDERS

5 I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witnessj to the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory about to be revealed:k 2 Shepherd God’s flock among you,l not overseeingH out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you;I not out of greed for money but eagerly; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherdm appears, you will receive the unfading crownn of glory. 5 In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. All of you clothe yourselves withJ humility toward one another, because

God resists the proud

but gives grace to the humble.A,o

CONCLUSION

6 Humblep yourselves, therefore, under the mighty handq of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.r 8 Be sober-minded,s be alert.t Your adversary the devilu is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9 Resist him,v firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.

10 The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal gloryw in Christ,B will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while.C 11 To him be dominionD forever.E Amen.

12 Through Silvanus,* x a faithful brother (as I consider him), I have written to you briefly in order to encourage you and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! 13 She who is in Babylon,y chosen together with you, sends you greetings, as does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.z Peaceaa to all of you who are in Christ.G

2 PETER