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¹ Therefore, cease ye from all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisy, and envy, and backbiting.² And be like infant children; and crave the word, as being the pure spiritual milk by which ye are nourished up to life;³ if ye have tasted and seen that the Lord is good:

⁴ to whom ye have come, because he is a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but with God elect and precious.⁵ And ye also, as living stones, are builded and become spiritual temples, and holy priests, for the offering of spiritual sacrifices, acceptable before God, through Jesus the Messiah.⁶ For it is said in the scripture, Behold, in Zion I lay a chosen and precious stone, for the head of the corner; and whoever believeth in him, will not be ashamed.⁷ On you therefore who believe, is this honor conferred: but to them who believe not,⁸ he is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence. And they stumble at it, because they believe not the word: whereto they were appointed.⁹ But ye are an elect race, officiating as priests of the kingdom; a holy people, a redeemed congregation; that ye should proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness to his precious light:¹⁰ 10 who formerly were not accounted a people, but now are the people of God; and also, there were [fn] no mercies on you, but now mercies are poured out upon you. ¹¹ My beloved, I entreat you as strangers and pilgrims, separate yourselves from all lusts of the body; for they war against the soul.¹² And let your behavior be decorous before all men; so that they who utter evil speeches against you, may see your good actions, and may praise God in the day of trial.

¹³ And be ye submissive to all the sons of men, for God's sake; to kings, on account of their authority;¹⁴ and to judges, because they are sent by him for the punishment of offenders, and for the praise of them that do well.¹⁵ For so is the pleasure of God, that by your good deeds ye may stop the mouth of the foolish, who know not God:¹⁶ as free men, yet not like men who make their freedom a cloak for their wickedness, but as the servants of God.¹⁷ Honor all men; love your brethren; fear God; and honor kings.¹⁸ And those among you who are servants, be subject to your masters, with reverence; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh and morose.¹⁹ For there is favor before God for them who, for the sake of a good conscience, endure sorrows that come upon them wrongfully.²⁰ But they who endure afflictions on account of their offences, what praise have they? But if, when ye do well, they vex you, and ye endure it; then great is your praise with God.²¹ For unto this were ye called; because the Messiah also died for us, and left us this pattern, that ye should walk in his steps.²² He did no sin; neither was guile found in his mouth.²³ When he was reviled, be reviled not; and he suffered and threatened not, but committed his cause to the Judge of righteousness.²⁴ And he took away all our sins, and, in his body, lifted them to the cross; that we, when dead to sin, might live by his righteousness: for by his wounds, ye are healed.²⁵ 25 For ye, [fn] went astray, like sheep; but ye have now returned to the Shepherd and Curator of your souls.