1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk, that with it you may grow, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4 Come to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious. 5 You also as living stones are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Because it is contained in Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen and precious. He who believes in him will not be disappointed.” 7 For you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and, “a stumbling stone and a rock of offense.” For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 In the past, you were not a people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 11 Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God in the day of visitation. 13 Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme, 14 or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well. 15 For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Live as free people, yet not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 18 Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked. 19 For it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God. 20 For what glory is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if when you do well, you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God. 21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps, 22 who didn’t sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.” 23 When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds. 25 For you were going astray like sheep; but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1 Peter · World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 Peter 2 World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- "World English Bible" is a trademark of eBible.org; the text is shown unaltered.
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.