1 ¶ Having therefore left all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all murmurings,

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, desire the rational milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby in health;

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 so be ye have tasted that the Lord is benevolent;

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

4 ¶ coming unto whom (is the living Stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and 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, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, well pleasing to God by Jesus, the 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 T herefore, also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion the chief corner stone, chosen, precious; and he that believes on him shall not be confounded.

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 U nto you, therefore, who believe he is precious; but unto those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is 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 offense, even to those who stumble at the word, not obeying in that for which they were ordained.

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 the chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, an acquired people, that ye should show forth the virtues of him who has 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 Y e who in the time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, who in the time past 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 D early beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from the carnal desires 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 a nd have your honest conversation among the Gentiles, so that, in that which they murmur about you as of evildoers, having witnessed your good works, they may 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 ¶ Therefore, be subject to every human ordinance that is of the Lord, whether it be to a king or to a superior,

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

14 a nd unto governors as unto those that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those 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 this is the will of God, that in well doing ye may silence the ignorance of vain men,

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

16 a s being free, yet not using your liberty to cover maliciousness, but as slaves 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 onour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour 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 subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and humane, but also to the unjust.

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 due to grace, if a man for conscience toward God endures grief, 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 are buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is due to grace from 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 B ecause for this were ye called: for the Christ also suffered for us, leaving us 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 cursed, did not return the curse; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him that judges 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 h e himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose wound 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 as sheep that had gone astray, but are now converted 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.