1Pe 2 | ESV | STEP | So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander .

1 ^aSo put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 ^bLike newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual ^cmilk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have ^dtasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, a living stone ^erejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 ^fyou yourselves like living stones are being built up as ^ga spiritual house, to be ^ha holy priesthood, ⁱto offer spiritual sacrifices ^jacceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

^k“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
^land whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who ^mbelieve, but for those who ⁿdo not believe,

^o“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,” ^{▼▼Greek the head of the corner}
8 and

^q“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, ^ras they were destined to do.

9 But you are ^sa chosen race, ^ta royal ^upriesthood, ^va holy nation, ^wa people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you ^xout of darkness into ^yhis marvelous light. 10 ^zOnce you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11 Beloved, I urge you ^aaas sojourners and exiles ^abto abstain from the passions of the flesh, ^acwhich wage war against your soul. 12 ^adKeep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, ^aethey may see your good deeds and glorify God on ^afthe day of visitation.

Submission to Authority

13 ^agBe subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, ^{▼▼Or every institution ordained for people} whether it be to the emperor ^{▼▼Or king; also verse 17} as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him ^ajto punish those who do evil and ^akto praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, ^althat by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 ^amLive as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but ^anliving as servants ^{▼▼Greek bondservants} of God. 17 ^apHonor everyone. ^aqLove the brotherhood. ^arFear God. Honor the emperor.

18 ^asServants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, ^atmindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But ^auif when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For ^avto this you have been called, ^awbecause Christ also suffered for you, ^axleaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 ^ayHe committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 ^azWhen he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, ^babut continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 ^bbHe himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we ^bcmight die to sin and ^bdlive to righteousness. ^beBy his wounds you have been healed. 25 For ^bfyou were straying like sheep, but have now returned to ^bgthe Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.