^2:1 Therefore, placing away from yourselves all malice and all treachery, and hypocrisies and envies, and all slanders, ^2:2 as newborn babies, long-for^° the logical milk which is treachery-free, in-order-that you^° may grow in it ^{T} toward salvation, ^2:3 (if indeed^*, you^° tasted it, that the Lord is kind), ^2:4 coming to whom is a living stone, have indeed been rejected^* by men, but chosen and precious with God. ^2:5 You^° yourselves, like living stones, are also built up as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ^2:6 Because it contains it in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I place a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and the one believing upon him should never be ashamed.’ {Isa 28:16} ^2:7 Therefore, in the ones who believe is the honor for you^°, but to the disobedient, ‘The stone which the ones building rejected^*, this became to you^° the head of the corner’; {Psa 118:22} ^2:8 and, ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense’; {Isa 8:14} who are stumbling in the word, being disobedient, toward which they were also appointed^*. ^2:9 But you^° are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people ^*for God’s ownership, ^*that you^° may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you^° out-of darkness into his marvelous light; ^2:10 the ones who previously were not a people, but now are the people of God, who had not been shown-mercy, but now were shown-mercy. {Hos 1:10, 2:23}

      ^2:11 Beloved, I am encouraging you^°, as foreigners and travelers, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which are warring against the soul, ^2:12 having your^° good conduct seen among the Gentiles, in-order-that, in what they are speaking against you^°, as evildoers, they may glorify God in the day of visitation, after they eye-witnessed things from your^° good works.

      ^2:13 Therefore, be^° subject to every human creation because of the Lord, whether to a king, as being superior to you^°, ^2:14 or to governors, as they are sent through him ^*for vengeance on evildoers and praise to the doers of good, ^2:15 because so is the will of God, doing^* good things to hush the ignorance of foolish men, ^2:16 as free and yet not having your^° freedom as a cover-up of malice, but as bondservants of God. ^2:17 Honor^° all men. Love^*° the brotherhood. Fear^° God. Honor^° the king.

      ^2:18 Domestic servants, stay being subject to your^° masters in all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the crooked. ^2:19 For^* this is grace, if anyone undergoes sorrows, suffering wrongfully because of his consciousness of God. ^2:20 For^* what credit is it, if, when sinning and being battered for it, you^° will be enduring it? But if, when doing^* good and suffering for it, you^° will be enduring it, this is grace with God. ^2:21 For^* you^° were called into this, because Christ also suffered on our behalf, leaving a model for you^°, in-order-that you^° should follow after his footprints. ^2:22 He who did^* no sin, nor was treachery found in his mouth; ^2:23 who, being reviled, was not reviling again in return; when suffering, was not threatening (but was giving himself to the one who is judging righteously); ^2:24 who, himself, carried our sins in his body upon the tree, in-order-that we might live to righteousness after we became-dead to our sins; of whom by his wounds you^° were healed. ^2:25 For^* you^° were being misled like sheep, but now were returned over to the Shepherd and Overseer of your^° souls. {Isa 53}