2 Wherefore alaying aside all bmalice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all cevil speakings, 2 dAs newborn babes, desire the esincere fmilk gof the word, that hye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have itasted that the Lord is kgracious. 4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, ldisallowed indeed of men, but lmchosen of God, and lprecious, 5 Ye also, as lively stones, ||mmare built up na spiritual house, oan holy priesthood, pto offer up spiritual sacrifices, qacceptable to God rby Jesus Christ. 6 Wherefore also it is contained in sthe scripture, tBehold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: uand vhe that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7 Unto you therefore which believe ||he is precious: but unto wthem which be disobedient, xthe stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And ya stone of zstumbling, and a rock of zoffence, even to them which stumble at the word, wbeing disobedient: awhereunto also they bwere appointed. 9 But ye are ca chosen generation, da royal priesthood, ean holy nation, ||fa peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the ||gpraises of hhim who hath called you iout of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 kWhich in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

11 Dearly beloved, lI beseech you mas nstrangers and opilgrims, pabstain from qfleshly lusts, rwhich war against the soul; 12 sHaving your tconversation honest among the Gentiles: that, ||uwhereas they speak against you as wevildoers, they may xby your good works, which they shall ybehold, zglorify God in the day of avisitation. 13 bSubmit yourselves to every ordinance of man cfor the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as bdsupreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him efor the punishment of evildoers, and ffor the praise of them that do well. 15 For so is gthe will of God, that hwith well doing ye may iput to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 kAs free, and not †using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as lthe servants of God. 17 ||mHonour all men. Love nthe brotherhood. oFear God. opHonour the king. 18 qServants, rbe subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and sgentle, but also to the tfroward. 19 For this is ||thankworthy, uif a man vfor conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For wwhat glory is it, if, when ye be xbuffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, wwhen ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is ||acceptable with God. 21 For even yhereunto zwere ye called: because aChrist also suffered ||for us, bleaving us an cexample, that ye should follow dhis steps: 22 eWho did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 fWho, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but ||gcommitted himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 hWho his own self bare our sins in his own body ||on ithe tree, kthat we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: lby whose mstripes ye were healed. 25 For nye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned ounto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

3 aLikewise, bye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any cobey not the word, dthey also may without the word be ewon by the fconversation of the wives; 2 While they gbehold your chaste fconversation coupled with fear. 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of hplaiting the hair, and of hwearing of gold, or of hputting on of apparel; 4 But let it be ithe hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who ktrusted in God, adorned themselves, bbeing in subjection unto their own husbands: 6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, lcalling him lord: whose †daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and mare not afraid with any namazement. 7 Likewise, oye husbands, pdwell with them according to qknowledge, giving rhonour unto the wife, as unto the weaker svessel, and as being theirs together of the grace of life; uthat your prayers be not hindered.

8 Finally, be ye vall of one mind, whaving compassion one of another, ||love as brethren, be xpitiful, be courteous: 9 yNot rendering evil for evil, or zrailing for railing: but contrariwise ablessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, bthat ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For che that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 dLet him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and ehis ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is †against them that do evil. 13 And fwho is he that will harm you, dif ye be followers of that which is good? 14 gBut and hif ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, ihappy are ye: and jbe not afraid of their terror, neither kbe troubled; 15 But lsanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and mbe ready always to give nan answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with omeekness and ||pfear: 16 qHaving ra good conscience; sthat, whereas they speak evil of you, as of sevildoers, they may be ashamed that tfalsely accuse your good uconversation in Christ. 17 For it is better, if vthe will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. 18 For Christ also hath wonce xsuffered for sins, ythe just for the unjust, zthat he might bring us to God, abeing put to death bin the flesh, but cquickened dby the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and epreached unto the spirits fin prison; 20 Which sometime were gdisobedient, hwhen once the ilongsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, kwhile the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, leight msouls kwere saved by water. 21 The like nfigure whereunto even obaptism doth also now psave us (not the qputting away of the filth of the flesh, but rthe answer of sa good conscience toward God,) tby the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 22 Who is gone into heaven, and uis on the right hand of God; vangels and wxyauthorities and vwxpowers zbeing made subject unto him.

4 aForasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us ain the flesh, barm yourselves likewise with the same cmind: for dhe that hath suffered in the flesh ehath ceased from sin; 2 fThat he no longer should live gthe rest of his time in the flesh to hthe lusts of men, but to ithe will of God. 3 For the time past of our life jmay suffice us fkto have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in llasciviousness, mlusts, excess of wine, nrevellings, banquetings, and oabominable pidolatries: 4 Wherein they qthink it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of rriot, sspeaking evil of you: 5 Who shall tgive account to him that is ready uto judge the quick and the dead. 6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also vto them that are dead, that they might be judged waccording to men in the flesh, but live xaccording to God in the spirit.

7 But ythe end of all things is at hand: zbe ye therefore sober, and awatch bunto prayer. 8 And above all things chave dfervent charity among yourselves: efor fcharity ||shall cover the multitude of sins. 9 gUse hospitality one to another hwithout grudging. 10 iAs every man hath received the jgift, even so minister the same one to another, as good kstewards of ithe manifold grace of God. 11 iIf any man speak, let him speak as lthe oracles of God; if any man mminister, let him do it nas of the ability which God giveth: that oGod in all things may be glorified pthrough Jesus Christ, qto whom be rpraise and rrdominion for ever and ever. Amen.

12 Beloved, sthink it not strange concerning tthe fiery trial uwhich is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But vrejoice, inasmuch as wye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, xwhen his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be yreproached zfor the name of Christ, yahappy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: bon their part che is evil spoken of, but on your part dhe is glorified. 15 But alet none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as ban evildoer, or as ea busybody in other men’s matters. 16 Yet if any man suffer as fa Christian, let him not be ashamed; but glet him glorify God hon this behalf. 17 For the time is come that ijudgment must begin at kthe house of God: and lif it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that mobey not the gospel of God? 18 And nif the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall othe ungodly and othe sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to pthe will of God qcommit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful rCreator.

5 aThe elders which are among you I exhort, who am balso an elder, and ca witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also da partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 eFeed the flock of God ||which is among you, ftaking the oversight thereof, gnot by constraint, but willingly; hnot for filthy lucre, but iof a ready mind; 3 Neither as ||kbeing lords over lGod’s heritage, but ebeing mensamples to the flock. 4 And when nthe chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall oreceive pa crown of glory qthat fadeth not away. 5 Likewise, rye younger, submit yourselves unto athe elder. Yea, sall of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with sshumility: for tGod resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 uHumble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 vCasting all your care upon him; for whe careth for you. 8 xBe sober, ybe vigilant; because your adversary zthe devil, aas a roaring lion, bwalketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 cWhom resist dstedfast in the faith, knowing that ethe same afflictions fare accomplished in your gbrethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, hwho hath called us unto ihis eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered ka while, lmake you perfect, mstablish, strengthen, nsettle you. 11 oTo him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

12 By pSilvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as qI suppose, I have written rbriefly, exhorting, and stestifying that this is the true tgrace of God uwherein ye stand. 13 The church that is at vBabylon, welected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth xMarcus my son. 14 yGreet ye one another with a kiss of charity. zPeace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Second Epistle General of

Peter