1 Laying aside therefore all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envyings and all evil speakings, 2 as newborn babes desire earnestly the pure mental milk of the word, that by it ye may grow up to salvation, 3 if indeed ye have tasted that the Lord [is] good. 4 To whom coming, a living stone, cast away indeed as worthless by men, but with God chosen, precious, 5 yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6 Because it is contained in the scripture: Behold, I lay in Zion a corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believes on him shall not be put to shame. 7 To you therefore who believe [is] the preciousness; but to the disobedient, the stone which the builders cast away as worthless, this is become head of [the] corner, 8 and a stone of stumbling and rock of offence; [who] stumble at the word, being disobedient to which also they have been appointed. 9 But ye [are] a chosen race, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a possession, that ye might set forth the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness to his wonderful light; 10 who once [were] not a people, but now God's people; who were not enjoying mercy, but now have found mercy. 11 Beloved, I exhort [you], as strangers and sojourners, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that [as to that] in which they speak against you as evildoers, they may through [your] good works, [themselves] witnessing [them], glorify God in [the] day of visitation. 13 Be in subjection [therefore] to every human institution for the Lord's sake; whether to [the] king as supreme, 14 or to rulers as sent by him, for vengeance on evildoers, and praise to them that do well. 15 Because so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye put to silence the ignorance of senseless men; 16 as free, and not as having liberty as a cloak of malice, but as God's bondmen. 17 Shew honour to all, love the brotherhood, fear God, honour the king. 18 Servants, [be] subject with all fear to your masters, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the ill-tempered. 19 For this [is] acceptable, if one, for conscience sake towards God, endure griefs, suffering unjustly. 20 For what glory [is it], if sinning and being buffeted ye shall bear [it]? but if, doing good and suffering, ye shall bear [it], this is acceptable with God. 21 For to this have ye been called; for Christ also has suffered for you, leaving you a model that ye should follow in his steps: 22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; 23 who, [when] reviled, reviled not again; [when] suffering, threatened not; but gave [himself] over into the hands of him who judges righteously; 24 who himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, in order that, being dead to sins, we may live to righteousness: by whose stripes ye have been healed. 25 For ye were going astray as sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.
1 Peter 2 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (25)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Ephesians 4:31; James 1:21; James 4:11; 1 Peter 3:10; Colossians 3:5–8
- 2 Hebrews 5:12–13; Ephesians 4:15; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 Corinthians 3:1–2; Mark 10:15
- 3 Psalm 34:8; Hebrews 6:5–6; Psalm 63:5; Zechariah 9:17; Psalm 24:8
- 4 Psalm 118:22–23; Acts 4:11–12; 1 Peter 2:7; Isaiah 28:16; Luke 20:17–18
- 5 Ephesians 2:20–22; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Corinthians 3:9; Revelation 5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:16
- 6 Isaiah 28:16; Romans 9:32–33; 1 Peter 2:4; Ephesians 2:20; Zechariah 10:4
- 7 Psalm 118:22–23; Acts 4:11–12; Mark 12:10–11; Matthew 21:42; 1 Peter 2:8
- 8 Isaiah 8:14; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Peter 2:7; Romans 9:32–33; Romans 9:22
- 9 Exodus 19:5–6; Deuteronomy 7:6; Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5:10; Isaiah 61:6
- 10 Hosea 2:23; Hosea 1:9–10; Hebrews 4:16; Romans 9:25–26; Romans 11:6–7
- 11 1 John 2:15–17; Galatians 5:24; 1 Peter 4:2; Hebrews 11:13; Romans 8:13
- 12 1 Peter 3:16; Matthew 5:16; Titus 2:7–8; Philippians 2:15–16; 2 Corinthians 8:21
- 13 Titus 3:1; Romans 13:1–7; 1 Timothy 2:1–2; Luke 20:25; Proverbs 24:21
- 14 Romans 13:3–4
- 15 1 Peter 3:17; Titus 2:8; 1 Peter 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Matthew 7:26
- 16 Galatians 5:13; Romans 6:22; Romans 6:18; 1 Corinthians 7:22; James 1:25
- 17 Proverbs 24:21; Romans 12:10; Romans 13:7; Philippians 2:3; 1 Peter 5:5
- 18 Titus 2:9–10; Colossians 3:22–25; Ephesians 6:5–7; 1 Timothy 6:1–3; Proverbs 3:32
- 19 Matthew 5:10–12; 1 Peter 3:14–17; 1 Peter 2:20; Luke 6:32; 1 Corinthians 15:10
- 20 1 Peter 2:19; 1 Peter 3:17; Matthew 5:10–12; 1 Peter 3:14; 1 Peter 4:14–16
- 21 1 John 2:6; Matthew 16:24; John 13:15; Ephesians 5:2; 1 John 3:16
- 22 Isaiah 53:9; Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5; Hebrews 7:26–27
- 23 Isaiah 53:7; 1 Peter 4:19; Hebrews 12:3; Psalm 37:5; Acts 4:29
- 24 Isaiah 53:4–6; Matthew 8:17; Romans 6:11; Revelation 22:2; 1 John 2:29
- 25 Isaiah 53:6; Ezekiel 34:6; Luke 15:4–6; Acts 20:28; John 10:11–16
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Let us then continually persevere in our hope, and the earnest of our righteousness, which is Jesus Christ, "who bore our sins in His own body on the tree," "who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth," but endured all things for us, that we might live in Him.
And for this reason Peter says "that we have not liberty as a cloak of maliciousness," but as the means of testing and evidencing faith.
25. But you, "chosen generation, you weak things of the world," who have forsaken all things that you might "follow the Lord," go after Him, and "confound the things which are mighty;" go after Him, ye beautiful feet, and shine in the firmament, that the heavens may declare His glory, dividing between the light of the perfect, though not as …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
He is called a Stone, not a lifeless stone, cut out by men's hands, but a chief corner-stone, on whom whosoever believeth shall not be put to shame.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
When you can do good, defer it not, because "alms delivers from death." Be all of you subject one to another "having your conduct blameless among the Gentiles," that ye may both receive praise for your good works, and the Lord may not be blasphemed through you.