1 Peter

¹ Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

² as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation;

³ if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious:

⁴ unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious,

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

⁶ Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.

⁷ For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner;

⁸ and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

⁹ But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

¹⁰ who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

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

¹² having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

¹³ Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme;

¹⁴ or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well.

¹⁵ For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

¹⁶ as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.

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

¹⁸ Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

¹⁹ For this is acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully.

²⁰ For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it , ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it , ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

²¹ For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps:

²² who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

²³ who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

²⁴ who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.

²⁵ For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.