1 P utting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

Put out of your life hate and lying. Do not pretend to be someone you are not. Do not always want something someone else has. Do not say bad things about other people.

2 a s newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation;

As new babies want milk, you should want to drink the pure milk which is God’s Word so you will grow up and be saved from the punishment of sin.

3 i f ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious:

If you have tasted of the Lord, you know how good He is. The Living Stone

4 u nto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious,

Come to Christ as to a living stone. Men have put Him aside, but He was chosen by God and is of great worth in the sight of God.

5 y e also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

You are to be as living stones in the building God is making also. You are His religious leaders giving yourselves to God through Jesus Christ. This kind of gift pleases God.

6 B ecause it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.

The Holy Writings say, “See, I lay down in Jerusalem a Stone of great worth, worth far more than any amount of money. Anyone who puts his trust in Him will not be ashamed.”

7 F or you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner;

This Stone is of great worth to you who have your trust in Him. But to those who have not put their trust in Him, the Holy Writings say, “The Stone which the workmen put aside has become the most important part of the building.”

8 a nd, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

The Holy Writings say, also, “Christ is the Stone that some men will trip over and the Rock over which they will fall.” When they do not obey the Word of God, they trip over it. This is what happens to such men.

9 B ut ye are a elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

But you are a chosen group of people. You are the King’s religious leaders. You are a holy nation. You belong to God. He has done this for you so you can tell others how God has called you out of darkness into His great light.

10 w ho in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

At one time you were a people of no use. Now you are the people of God. At one time you did not have loving-kindness. Now you have God’s loving-kindness.

11 B eloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul;

Dear friends, your real home is not here on earth. You are strangers here. I ask you to keep away from all the sinful desires of the flesh. These things fight to get hold of your soul.

12 h aving your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

When you are around people who do not know God, be careful how you act. Even if they talk against you as wrong-doers, in the end they will give thanks to God for your good works when Christ comes again. Obey the Leaders

13 B e subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as supreme;

Obey the head leader of the country and all other leaders over you. This pleases the Lord.

14 o r unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well.

Obey the men who work for them. God sends them to punish those who do wrong and to show respect to those who do right.

15 F or so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

This is what God wants. When you do right, you stop foolish men from saying bad things.

16 a s free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.

Obey as men who are free but do not use this to cover up sin. Live as servants owned by God at all times.

17 H onor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Show respect to all men. Love the Christians. Honor God with love and fear. Respect the head leader of the country. Servants

18 S ervants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

Servants, you are to respect your owners and do what they say. Do this if you have a good and kind owner. You must do it even if your owner is hard to work for.

19 F or this is acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully.

This shows you have received loving-favor when you are even punished for doing what is right because of your trust in God.

20 F or what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

What good is it if, when you are beaten for doing something wrong, you do not try to get out of it? But if you are beaten when you have done what is right, and do not try to get out of it, God is pleased.

21 F or hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps:

These things are all a part of the Christian life to which you have been called. Christ suffered for us. This shows us we are to follow in His steps.

22 w ho did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

He never sinned. No lie or bad talk ever came from His lips.

23 w ho, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

When people spoke against Him, He never spoke back. When He suffered from what people did to Him, He did not try to pay them back. He left it in the hands of the One Who is always right in judging.

24 w ho his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.

He carried our sins in His own body when He died on a cross. In doing this, we may be dead to sin and alive to all that is right and good. His wounds have healed you!

25 F or ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

You were like lost sheep. But now you have come back to Him Who is your Shepherd and the One Who cares for your soul.