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¹ Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, ² as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation; ³ if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious:

⁴ unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious, ⁵ ye 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. ⁶ Because 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. ⁷ For you therefore which believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; ⁸ and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. ⁹ But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God’s] own possession, that ye may shew forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: ¹⁰ which in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. ¹¹ Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; ¹² having your behaviour 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.

¹³ Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; ¹⁴ or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil–doers and for praise to them that do well. ¹⁵ For so is the will of God, that by well–doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: ¹⁶ as free, and not using your freedom for a cloke of wickedness, but as bondservants of God. ¹⁷ Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. ¹⁸ Servants, [be] in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. ¹⁹ For this is acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully. ²⁰ For 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. ²¹ For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: ²² who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: ²³ who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously: ²⁴ who 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. ²⁵ For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.