as children of obedience, not conformed to your former lusts in your ignorance;

but as he who has called you is holy, be ye also holy in all your conversation;

And if ye invoke as Father him who, without regard of persons, judges according to the work of each, pass your time of sojourn in fear,

knowing that ye have been redeemed, not by corruptible things, as silver or gold, from your vain conversation handed down from your fathers,

but by precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, the blood of Christ,

Because all flesh is as grass, and all its glory as the flower of grass. The grass has withered and its flower has fallen;

as newborn babes desire earnestly the pure mental milk of the word, that by it ye may grow up to salvation,

To whom coming, a living stone, cast away indeed as worthless by men, but with God chosen, precious,

yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

To you therefore who believe is the preciousness; but to the disobedient, the stone which the builders cast away as worthless, this is become head of the corner,

Beloved, I exhort you, as strangers and sojourners, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that as to that in which they speak against you as evildoers, they may through your good works, themselves witnessing them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Be in subjection therefore to every human institution for the Lord's sake; whether to the king as supreme,

or to rulers as sent by him, for vengeance on evildoers, and praise to them that do well.

as free, and not as having liberty as a cloak of malice, but as God's bondmen.

For ye were going astray as sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose children ye have become, doing good, and not fearing with any kind of consternation.

Ye husbands likewise, dwell with them according to knowledge, as with a weaker, even the female, vessel, giving them honour, as also fellow-heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.

having a good conscience, that as to that in which they speak against you as evildoers, they may be ashamed who calumniate your good conversation in Christ.

For it is better, if the will of God should will it, to suffer as well-doers than as evildoers;

which figure also now saves you, even baptism, not a putting away of the filth of flesh, but the demand as before God of a good conscience, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

For to this end were the glad tidings preached to the dead also, that they might be judged, as regards men, after the flesh, but live, as regards God, after the Spirit.

each according as he has received a gift, ministering it to one another, as good stewards of the various grace of God.

If any one speak as oracles of God; if any one minister as of strength which God supplies; that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory and the might for the ages of ages. Amen.

Beloved, take not as strange the fire of persecution which has taken place amongst you for your trial, as if a strange thing was happening to you;

but as ye have share in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, that in the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exultation.

Let none of you suffer indeed as murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or as overseer of other people's matters;

but if as a christian, let him not be ashamed, but glorify God in this name.

not as lording it over your possessions, but being models for the flock.

Be vigilant, watch. Your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour.

By Silvanus, the faithful brother, as I suppose, I have written to you briefly; exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which ye stand.