1Pe 2:1-12 | 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.