But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

for you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

As you come to him, the living Stone rejected by men but chosen and precious in the sight of God

you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against your soul.

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the supreme authority,

Therefore, put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth;"

Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are overbearing.

For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of foolish men.

or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.

For what credit is it, if when you do wrong and are beaten for it you patiently endure? But if when you do right and suffer for it you patiently endure, you have favor with God.

Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

For it stands in scripture: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and he who believes in him will not be put to shame."

For you were straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

To you therefore who believe, this is precious, but for those who do not believe, "The very stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,"

For a man is approved if, mindful of God, he bears up under pain while suffering unjustly.

when he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he uttered no threats, but he trusted himself to him who judges justly.

and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall;" they stumble because they disobey the wordas they were desstined to do.

Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a covering for evil; live as servants of God.

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.