1 Peter 2:1-12 - Chosen As Living Stones
1 Wherefore, lay aside all maliciousness, and all guile, and dissimulation, and envy, and all backbiting: 2 and as newborn babes desire that reasonable milk which is without corruption, that ye may be grown therein. 3 If so be that ye have tasted how pleasant the Lord is, 4 to whom ye come as unto a living stone, disallowed of men, but chosen of God and precious: 5 and ye, as living stones, are made a spiritual house, and a holy priesthood, for to offer up spiritual sacrifice, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6 Wherefore it is contained in the scripture, "Behold, I put in Zion a head cornerstone, elect and precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be ashamed."
7 Unto you therefore which believe is he precious: but unto them which believe not, the stone which the builders refused, the same is made the headstone in the corner
8 and a stone to stumble at, and a rock to offend them which stumble at the word, and believe not that whereon they were set.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people, that ye should show the virtues of him that called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, 10 which in time past were not a people, yet are now the people of God, which were not under mercy: but now have obtained mercy.
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers, and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which fight against the soul, 12 and see that ye have honest conversation among the gentiles, that they which backbite you as evil doers, may see your good works and praise God in the day of visitation.