| 1 | So put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander. |
| 2 | Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation; |
| 3 | for you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. |
| 4 | Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God's sight chosen and precious; |
| 5 | and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. |
| 6 | For it stands in scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and he who believes in him will not be put to shame." |
| 7 | To you therefore who believe, he is precious, but for those who do not believe, "The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner," |
| 8 | and "A stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall"; for they stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. |
| 9 | But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. |
| 10 | Once you were no people but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy. |
| 11 | Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul. |
| 12 | Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. |
| 13 | Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, |
| 14 | or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. |
| 15 | For it is God's will that by doing right you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. |
| 16 | Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God. |
| 17 | Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. |