1 P ut 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.

Having put aside, then, all evil, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envyings, and all evil speakings,

2 A s 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.

as new-born babes the word's pure milk desire ye, that in it ye may grow,

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

if so be ye did taste that the Lord gracious,

4 C ome 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.

to whom coming -- a living stone -- by men, indeed, having been disapproved of, but with God choice, precious,

5 Y ou 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.

and ye yourselves, as living stones, are built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6 T he 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.”

Wherefore, also, it is contained in the Writing: `Lo, I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone, choice, precious, and he who is believing on him may not be put to shame;'

7 T his 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.”

to you, then, who are believing the preciousness; and to the unbelieving, a stone that the builders disapproved of, this one did become for the head of a corner,

8 T he 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.

and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence -- who are stumbling at the word, being unbelieving, -- to which also they were set;

9 B ut 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.

and ye a choice race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired, that the excellences ye may shew forth of Him who out of darkness did call you to His wondrous light;

10 A t 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.

who once not a people, and now the people of God; who had not found kindness, and now have found kindness.

11 D ear 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.

Beloved, I call upon, as strangers and sojourners, to keep from the fleshly desires, that war against the soul,

12 W hen 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

having your behaviour among the nations right, that in that which they speak against you as evil-doers, of the good works having beheld, they may glorify God in a day of inspection.

13 O bey the head leader of the country and all other leaders over you. This pleases the Lord.

Be subject, then, to every human creation, because of the Lord, whether to a king, as the highest,

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

whether to governors, as to those sent through him, for punishment, indeed, of evil-doers, and a praise of those doing good;

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

because, so is the will of God, doing good, to put to silence the ignorance of the foolish men;

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

as free, and not having the freedom as the cloak of the evil, but as servants of God;

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

to all give ye honour; the brotherhood love ye; God fear ye; the king honour ye.

18 S ervants, 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.

The domestics! be subjecting yourselves in all fear to the masters, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the cross;

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

for this gracious, if because of conscience toward God any one doth endure sorrows, suffering unrighteously;

20 W hat 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.

for what renown, if sinning and being buffeted, ye do endure ? but if, doing good and suffering, ye do endure, this gracious with God,

21 T hese 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.

for to this ye were called, because Christ also did suffer for you, leaving to you an example, that ye may follow his steps,

22 H e never sinned. No lie or bad talk ever came from His lips.

who did not commit sin, nor was guile found in his mouth,

23 W hen 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.

who being reviled -- was not reviling again, suffering -- was not threatening, and was committing himself to Him who is judging righteously,

24 H e 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!

who our sins himself did bear in his body, upon the tree, that to the sins having died, to the righteousness we may live; by whose stripes ye were healed,

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

for ye were as sheep going astray, but ye turned back now to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.