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1So get rid of all hatred, deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and insults of every kind.
2Like newborn babies, you should crave the pure milk of God’s word. It will help you grow up as believers.
3You will want to do this now that you have tasted how good the Lord is.
4Christ is the living Stone. People rejected him, but God chose him, and he’s very precious to God.
5You’re also like living stones. As you come to Christ, you’re being built into a house for worship. There you will be holy priests and offer spiritual sacrifices that God will accept because of what Jesus Christ has done.
6In Scripture it says,
“Look! I’m placing a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone.
The one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
7This stone is precious to you who believe. But to people who don’t believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.”
8And,
“It’s a stone that causes people to trip,
a rock that makes them fall.”
People who don’t obey the message trip and fall, just the way God planned it.
9But God chose you to be his own people, his royal priests, a holy nation, his special treasure. You’re all these things so that you can tell everyone how wonderful God is. He brought you out of darkness and into his marvelous light.
10Once you weren’t a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you hadn’t received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11Dear friends, in this world you’re outsiders who are living away from their land. So don’t give in to your wrong desires, which fight against your soul.
12People who don’t believe might accuse you of doing wrong. But lead such good lives among them that they’ll see your good deeds and give glory to God on the day Jesus returns.
13For the Lord’s sake, follow the lead of every human authority. Obey the emperor, who is the highest authority.
14Also obey the governors that the emperor sends to punish people who do wrong and praise those who do right.
15By doing good, you’ll stop to the talk of foolish people who don’t know what they’re saying. This is what God wants you to do.
16Live as free people, but don’t use your freedom to cover up evil. Live as people who are God’s slaves.
17Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, have respect for God, honor the emperor.
18Slaves, obey your masters out of deep respect for God. Obey those who are good and kind, but also obey also those who aren’t kind.
19If a person is punished unfairly and they take it patiently because they want to obey God, they deserve to be praised for that.
20But if a person is punished for doing wrong and they take it patiently, they don’t deserve any special praise. But if you do suffer for doing good and you put up with it, God will praise you for that.
21This is what God wants you to do. Remember, Christ suffered for you, and he left you an example that he expects you to follow.
22Scripture says,
“He didn’t commit any sin.
No lies ever came out of his mouth.”
23People shouted at him and insulted him, but he didn’t do the same thing back to them. He didn’t threaten to get revenge against the people who were making him suffer. Instead, he trusted in God, who judges fairly.
24“He himself carried our sins” in his body on the cross. He did that so, free from sins, we would lead godly lives. “His wounds have healed you.”
25“You were like sheep wandering away.” But now you have returned to the Shepherd who watches over your souls.