A Living Stone and a Holy People
aSo put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 aLike newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual bmilk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have atasted that the Lord is good.
4 As you come to him, a living stone arejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 ayou yourselves like living stones are being built up as ba spiritual house, to be ca holy priesthood, dto offer spiritual sacrifices eacceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
a“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
band whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who abelieve, but for those who ado not believe,
b“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
8 and
a“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, bas they were destined to do.
9 But you are aa chosen race, ba royal cpriesthood, da holy nation, ea people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you fout of darkness into ghis marvelous light. 10 aOnce you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I urge you aas sojourners and exiles bto abstain from the passions of the flesh, cwhich wage war against your soul. 12 aKeep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, bthey may see your good deeds and glorify God on cthe day of visitation.