1Therefore, rid yourselves of all Or wickednessmalice and all deceit and plural nounshypocrisy and plural nounsenvy and all plural nounsslander,

2and like newborn babies, long for the Or unadulteratedpure Or spiritual (Gr logikos) milk, somilk of the word, so that by it you may grow Or up to salvationin respect to salvation,

3if you have tasted Lit that the Lord is kindthe kindness of the Lord.

4And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is Lit chosen; or electchoice and precious in the sight of God,

5you also, as living stones, Or allow yourselves to be built up; or build yourselves upare being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6For this is contained in Or a scriptureScripture:

7This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for unbelievers,

8and,

9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

10for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.

12Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may Or as a result ofbecause of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God on the day of I.e., Christ’s coming again in judgmentvisitation.

13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,

14or to governors as sent Lit throughby him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

15For Lit sosuch is the will of God, that by doing right you silence the ignorance of foolish people.

16Act as free people, and Lit not havingdo not use your freedom as a I.e., a way to concealcovering for evil, but use it as bond-servants of God.

17Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the Or emperorking.

18Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are Or unscrupulousharsh.

19For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person endures Or paingrief when suffering unjustly.

20For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

21For you have been called for this purpose, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you would follow in His steps,

22He who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;

23Lit whoand while being abusively insulted, He did not insult in return; while suffering, He did not threaten, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

24and He Himself Or offered...upbrought our sins in His body up on the Lit wood; see Deut 21:23cross, so that we might die to Lit sinssin and live for righteousness; by His Lit wound; or weltwounds you were healed.

25For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Or Bishop, OverseerGuardian of your souls.