25<THE> BUT THE DECLARATION OF [THE] LORD ABIDES TO THE AGE. THIS NOW IS THE DECLARATION WHICH HAVING BEEN EVANGELISED TO YOU. 25but the word of the Lord stands forever.”*NoteCloseIsaiah 40:6–8 And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.
1HAVING PUT ASIDE THEREFORE ALL MALICE AND ALL DECEIT AND HYPOCRISIES AND ENVIES AND ALL EVIL SPEAKINGS The Living Stone and Chosen People (Isaiah 28:14–22; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15; Ephesians 2:19–22) 1Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
2LIKE NEWBORN BABIES <THE> REASONABLE PURE MILK DO CRAVE SO THAT BY IT YOU MAY GROW UP IN RESPECT TO SALVATION, 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
4TO WHOM COMING A STONE LIVING, BY MEN INDEED REJECTED IN THE SIGHT OF HOWEVER GOD CHOSEN [AND] PRECIOUS, 4As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight,
5ALSO YOU YOURSELVES AS STONES LIVING ARE BEING BUILT UP AS A HOUSE SPIRITUAL INTO A PRIESTHOOD HOLY TO OFFER SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES ACCEPTABLE <THE> TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6THEREFORE IT IS CONTAINED IN <THE> SCRIPTURE: BEHOLD I LAY IN ZION A STONE CORNERSTONE A CHOSEN PRECIOUS, AND THE [ONE] WHO IS BELIEVING ON HIM CERTAINLY NOT MAY BE PUT TO SHAME. 6For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”*NoteCloseIsaiah 28:16 (see also LXX)
7TO YOU THEREFORE [IS] THE PRECIOUSNESS OF THOSE BELIEVING; [FOR THOSE] DISBELIEVING HOWEVER [THE] STONE WHICH REJECTED THOSE BUILDING, THIS HAS BECOME INTO [THE] HEAD OF [THE] CORNER 7To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”*NoteClosePsalm 118:22
8AND A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, [THEY] STUMBLE AT ON THE WORD BEING DISOBEDIENT, TO WHICH ALSO THEY WERE APPOINTED; 8and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”*NoteCloseIsaiah 8:14 They stumble because they disobey the word— and to this they were appointed.
9YOU YOURSELVES HOWEVER [ARE] A RACE CHOSEN, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A NATION HOLY, A PEOPLE FOR [HIS] POSSESSION, SO THAT THE EXCELLENCIES YOU MAY PROCLAIM OF THE [ONE] OUT OF DARKNESS YOU HAVING CALLED TO THE MARVELOUS OF HIM LIGHT; 9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
10WHO ONCE [WERE] NOT A PEOPLE, NOW HOWEVER [THE] PEOPLE OF GOD, THOSE [WHO] NOT RECEIVED MERCY, NOW HOWEVER HAVING RECEIVED MERCY. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.*NoteCloseHosea 2:23
11BELOVED, I EXHORT [YOU] AS ALIENS AND SOJOURNERS TO ABSTAIN <THE> FROM FLESHLY DESIRES, WHICH WAR AGAINST THE SOUL; 11Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
12THE CONDUCT OF YOU AMONG THE GENTILES KEEPING HONORABLE, SO THAT WHEREIN WHICH THEY SPEAK AGAINST YOU AS EVILDOERS, THROUGH THE GOOD DEEDS HAVING WITNESSED THEY MAY GLORIFY <THE> GOD IN [THE] DAY OF VISITATION. 12Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
13DO BE SUBJECTED THEREFORE TO EVERY HUMAN INSTITUTION FOR THE SAKE OF THE LORD; WHETHER TO [THE] KING AS BEING SUPREME; Submission to Authorities (Romans 13:1–7) 13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority,
14OR TO GOVERNORS AS THROUGH HIM BEING SENT FOR VENGEANCE INDEED TO EVILDOERS, PRAISE HOWEVER TO WELL-DOERS; 14or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.
15BECAUSE THIS IS THE WILL <THE> OF GOD DOING GOOD TO PUT TO SILENCE THE <THE> OF FOOLISH MEN IGNORANCE; 15For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men.
16AS FREE AND NOT AS A COVER-UP HAVING <THE> FOR EVIL THE FREEDOM, BUT AS OF GOD SERVANTS. 16Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
17EVERYONE DO HONOR, THE BROTHERHOOD DO LOVE, <THE> GOD DO FEAR, THE KING DO HONOR. 17Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers,*NoteCloseLiterally Love the brotherhood fear God, honor the king.
18YOU WHO [ARE] SERVANTS BE SUBJECT WITH ALL FEAR <THE> TO MASTERS, NOT ONLY TO THE GOOD AND GENTLE, BUT ALSO TO THE UNREASONABLE. 18Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect,*NoteCloseOr in all fear not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.
19THIS FOR [IS] ACCEPTABLE, IF FOR SAKE OF CONSCIENCE TOWARD GOD ENDURES ANYONE GRIEFS SUFFERING UNJUSTLY. 19For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended.
20WHAT KIND OF FOR CREDIT [IS IT] IF SINNING AND BEING STRUCK YOU WILL ENDURE? BUT IF DOING GOOD AND SUFFERING YOU WILL ENDURE, THIS [IS] COMMENDABLE BEFORE GOD. 20How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
21TO THIS HEREUNTO FOR YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED, BECAUSE ALSO CHRIST SUFFERED FOR FOR YOU, YOU LEAVING AN EXAMPLE THAT YOU MAY FOLLOW AFTER THE STEPS OF HIM: Christ’s Example of Suffering (Isaiah 53:1–8) 21For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps:
22WHO SIN NOT COMMITTED, NEITHER WAS FOUND TRICKERY IN THE MOUTH OF HIM, 22“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”*NoteCloseIsaiah 53:9
23WHO BEING REVILED NOT WAS NOT REVILING BACK SUFFERING NOT WAS THREATENING HE WAS DELIVERING [HIMSELF] HOWEVER TO THE [ONE] JUDGING JUSTLY; 23When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
24WHO THE SINS OF US HIMSELF BORE IN THE BODY OF HIM ON THE TREE SO THAT <THE> TO SINS HAVING BEEN DEAD <THE> TO RIGHTEOUSNESS WE MAY LIVE; OF WHOM BY THE WOUNDS OF HIM YOU HAVE BEEN HEALED. 24He Himself bore our sins*NoteCloseIsaiah 53:4 (see also LXX) in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”*NoteCloseIsaiah 53:5
25YOU WERE FOR LIKE SHEEP GOING ASTRAY BUT YOU HAVE RETURNED NOW TO THE SHEPHERD AND OVERSEER OF THE SOULS OF YOU. 25For “you were like sheep going astray,”*NoteCloseIsaiah 53:6 but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.