1 Peter 2:4-12 - A Living Stone, A Chosen People

⁴ Coming to him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by man, but in the sight of God, chosen and precious, ⁵ you, also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, that you may offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it is contained in the scripture: Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone, chosen, precious; and he that believes on him shall not be ashamed.

⁷ To you, then, who believe, is this preciousness: but the stone which the builders rejected, has become the head of the corner,

⁸ and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense to the disobedient, who stumble at the word because they are disobedient, to which stumbling they were also appointed.

⁹ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people, that you should show forth the virtues of him who has called you out of darkness into his wonderful light: ¹⁰ who formerly were not a people, but now are the people of God; who had not received mercy, but now have received mercy.

¹¹ Beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and sojourners, that you keep yourselves from fleshly desires, which war against the soul, ¹² maintaining an honorable mode of life am one the Gentiles, that, inasmuch as they speak against you as evil-doers, they may, on account of your good works which they witness, glorify God in the day of visitation.