1 Peter 2

¹Laying aside therefore all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envyings and all evil speakings,

²as newborn babes desire earnestly the pure mental milk of the word, that by it ye may grow up to salvation,

³if indeed ye have tasted that the Lord [is] good.

⁴To whom coming, a living stone, cast away indeed as worthless by men, but with God chosen, precious,

⁵yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

⁶Because 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.

⁷To 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,

⁸and a stone of stumbling and rock of offence; [who] stumble at the word, being disobedient to which also they have been appointed.

⁹But 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;

¹⁰who once [were] not a people, but now God's people; who were not enjoying mercy, but now have found mercy.

¹¹Beloved, I exhort [you], as strangers and sojourners, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

¹²having 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.