1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure ^uspiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have ^vtasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, a living stone ^wrejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being ^xbuilt up as a spiritual ^yhouse, to be a holy ^zpriesthood, to offer ^aspiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

8 and

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were ^fdestined to do.

9 But you are ^ga chosen race, ^ha royal priesthood, a holy nation, ⁱa people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you ^jout of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 ^kOnce 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 as ^lsojourners and ^mexiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, ⁿwhich wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and ^oglorify God on the day of visitation.

13 ^pBe subject for the Lord’s sake ^qto every human institution,² whether it be to the emperor³ as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, ^rthat by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but ^sliving as servants⁴ of God. 17 ^tHonor everyone. Love the ^ubrotherhood. ^vFear God. Honor the emperor.

18 ^wServants, ^xbe subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.⁵ 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while ^ysuffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, ^zwhen you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because ^aChrist also suffered for you, leaving you an ^bexample, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 ^cHe committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 ^dWhen he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but ^econtinued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 ^fHe himself bore our sins in his body on the ^gtree, that we might ^hdie to sin and ⁱlive to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were ^jstraying like sheep, but have now returned to the ^kShepherd and Overseer of your souls.