1 Peter 2:1-12 - Chosen As Living Stones
1 Laying aside therefore all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all slander, 2 as newborn babes, desire the spiritual, pure milk, that ye may grow thereby to salvation; 3 if indeed ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4 To whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but in the sight of God chosen, honored, 5 be ye yourselves also, as living stones, built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Because it is contained in the Scripture: "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen, honored; and he that believeth in him shall not be put to shame."
7 To you therefore who believe, is the honor; but to the disobedient, "the stone which the builders rejected, the same hath become the cornerstone,"
8 and "a stone of stumbling, and a rock to strike against;" even to those who stumble, being disobedient to the word; to which they were also appointed.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a possession, that ye may show forth the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light; 10 who once were not a people, but are now the people of God; who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 Beloved, I exhort you, as sojourners and strangers, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 having your manner of life among the gentiles honorable; that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.