5 ^oyou yourselves like living stones are being built up as ^pa spiritual house, to be ^qa holy priesthood, ^rto offer spiritual sacrifices ^sacceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

7 So the honor is for you who ^vbelieve, but for those who ^vdo not believe,

8 and

They stumble because they disobey the word, ^yas they were destined to do.

9 But you are ^za chosen race, ^aa royal ^bpriesthood, ^ca holy nation, ^da people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you ^eout of darkness into ^fhis marvelous light. 10 ^gOnce you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Submission to Authority

13 ⁿBe subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,¹ whether it be to the emperor² as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him ^oto punish those who do evil and ^pto praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, ^qthat by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 ^rLive as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but ^sliving as servants³ of God. 17 ^tHonor everyone. ^uLove the brotherhood. ^vFear God. Honor the emperor.

Shepherd the Flock of God

1 So I exhort the elders among you, ^mas a fellow elder and ⁿa witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 ^oshepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,^{1 p}not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;^{2 q}not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not ^rdomineering over those in your charge, but ^sbeing examples to the flock. 4 And when ^tthe chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the ^uunfading ^vcrown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. ^wClothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ^x“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”