1 Peter 2 — Berean Standard Bible

¹ Rid yourselves, therefore, {of} all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. ² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in [your] salvation, ³ now that you have tasted that the Lord [is] good. ⁴ As you come to [Him], [the] living stone, rejected by men but chosen [and] precious in God’s sight, ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to [be] a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen [and] precious cornerstone; and the [one who] believes in Him will never be put to shame.” ⁷ To you who believe, then, [this stone] is precious. But [to those who] do not believe, “[The] stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” ⁸ and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” [They] stumble [because] they disobey the word— and to [this] they were appointed. ⁹ But you [are] a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God’s own] possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. ¹⁰ Once [you were] not a people, but now [you are] [the] people of God; [once you] had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ¹¹ Beloved, I urge [you], as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from [the] desires of the flesh, which war against [your] soul. ¹² Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see [your] good deeds [and] glorify God on [the] day He visits us. ¹³ Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to [the] king as the supreme [authority], ¹⁴ or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. ¹⁵ For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men. ¹⁶ [Live] in freedom, [but] do not use [your] freedom as a cover-up for evil; [live] as servants of God. ¹⁷ Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood [of believers], fear God, honor the king. ¹⁸ Servants, submit yourselves to [your] masters with all respect, not only to those who [are] good and gentle, but even to those who [are] unreasonable. ¹⁹ For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended. ²⁰ How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure [it]? But if you suffer for doing good [and] you endure [it], this [is] commendable before God. ²¹ For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps: ²² “He committed no sin, [and] no deceit was found in His mouth.” ²³ When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. ²⁴ [He] Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin [and] live to righteousness. “By [His] stripes you are healed.” ²⁵ For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.