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

⁴ to whom coming -- a living stone -- by men, indeed, having been disapproved of, but with God choice, precious, ⁵ and ye yourselves, as living stones, are built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Wherefore, also, it is contained in the Writing: 'Lo, I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone, choice, precious, and he who is believing on him may not be put to shame;'

⁷ to you, then, who are believing is the preciousness; and to the unbelieving, a stone that the builders disapproved of, this one did become for the head of a corner,

⁸ and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence -- who are stumbling at the word, being unbelieving, -- to which also they were set;

⁹ and ye are a choice race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired, that the excellences ye may shew forth of Him who out of darkness did call you to His wondrous light; ¹⁰ who were once not a people, and are now the people of God; who had not found kindness, and now have found kindness.

¹¹ Beloved, I call upon you, as strangers and sojourners, to keep from the fleshly desires, that war against the soul, ¹² having your behaviour among the nations right, that in that which they speak against you as evil-doers, of the good works having beheld, they may glorify God in a day of inspection.