A Living Stone and a Holy Nation
1 Stop being hateful! Quit trying to fool people, and start being sincere. Don't be jealous or say cruel things about others. 2 Be like newborn babies who are thirsty for the pure spiritual milk that will help you grow and be saved. 3 You have already found out how good the Lord really is.
4 Come to Jesus Christ. He is the living stone people have rejected, but which God has chosen and highly honored. 5 And now you are living stones being used to build a spiritual house. You are also a group of holy priests, and with the help of Jesus Christ you will offer sacrifices that please God. 6 It is just as God says in the Scriptures,
“Look! I am placing in Zion
a choice and precious
cornerstone.
No one who has faith
in this one
will be disappointed.”
7 You are followers of the Lord, and this stone is precious to you. But it isn't precious to those who refuse to follow him. They are the builders who tossed aside the stone that turned out to be the most important one of all. 8 They disobeyed the message and stumbled and fell over this stone, because they were doomed.
9 But you are God's chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things he has done. The Scriptures say,
10 “Once you were nobody.
Now you are God's people.
At one time no one
had mercy on you.
Now God has treated you
with kindness.”
Live as God's Servants Should
11 Dear friends, you are foreigners and strangers on this earth. So I beg you not to surrender to those desires that fight against you. 12 Always let others see you behaving properly, even though they may still accuse you of doing wrong. Then on the day of judgment, they will honor God by telling the good things they saw you do.
13 The Lord wants you to obey all human authorities, especially the Emperor, who rules over everyone. 14 You must also obey governors, because they are sent by the Emperor to punish criminals and to praise good citizens. 15 God wants you to silence stupid and ignorant people by doing right. 16 You are free, but still you are God's servants, and you must not use your freedom as an excuse for doing wrong. 17 Respect everyone and show special love for God's people. Honor God and respect the Emperor.
The Example of Christ's Suffering
18 Servants, you must obey your masters and always show respect to them. Do this, not only to those who are kind and thoughtful, but also to those who are cruel. 19 God will bless you, even if others treat you unfairly for being loyal to him. 20 You don't gain anything by being punished for some wrong you have done. But God will bless you, if you have to suffer for doing something good. 21 After all, God chose you to suffer as you follow in the footsteps of Christ, who set an example by suffering for you.
22 Christ did not sin
or ever tell a lie.
23 Although he was abused,
he never tried to get even.
And when he suffered,
he made no threats.
Instead, he had faith in God,
who judges fairly.
24 Christ carried the burden
of our sins.
He was nailed to the cross,
so we would stop sinning
and start living right.
By his cuts and bruises
you are healed.
25 You had wandered away
like sheep.
Now you have returned
to the one
who is your shepherd
and protector.
Dzīvais akmens un izredzēto cilts
1 Tādēļ atmetiet visu ļaunprātību un jebkādu viltību, izlikšanos, skaudību un visādu mēlnesību, 2 kā nupat piedzimuši bērni alkstiet pēc tīra garīga piena, lai, to baudot, jūs kļūtu pieauguši pestīšanai – 3 ja vien jūs esat baudījuši, cik Kungs ir labs. 4 Jūs nākat pie viņa, pie dzīvā akmens, kas cilvēku atmests, bet Dieva izredzēts un dārgs. 5 Arī jūs paši kā dzīvi akmeņi tiekat uzcelti par garīgu namu, lai jūs būtu par svētu priesterību Dievam un pienestu garīgus, Dievam tīkamus upurus caur Jēzu Kristu. 6 Tādēļ Raksti saka:
redzi, es lieku Ciānā stūrakmeni,
izredzētu un dārgu,
un ikviens, kas uz to tic, netiks apkaunots nekad.
7 Jums, ticīgajiem, tas ir gods, bet neticīgajiem –
akmens, ko nama cēlāji ir atmetuši.
Šis akmens ir kļuvis par stūrakmeni
8 un arī
par klupšanas akmeni,
un piedauzības klinti.
Tie, kas netic vārdam, klūp pār šo akmeni, tas viņiem arī lemts.
9 Bet jūs esat izredzēta cilts, ķēnišķa priesteru saime, svēta tauta, tā īpašums, kas jūs no tumsas ir aicinājis savā brīnumainajā gaismā, lai jūs sludinātu viņa izcilos darbus – 10 jūs, kas reiz nebijāt Dieva tauta, bet tagad esat Dieva tauta, jūs, kas nebijāt apžēloti, tagad esat kļuvuši apžēloti.
Dzīvojiet kā Dieva kalpi!
11 Mīļotie, es jūs kā ienācējus un svešiniekus šajā pasaulē aicinu atturēties no miesas iekārēm, kas visas karo pret dvēseli. 12 Esiet krietni, dzīvojot starp pagāniem, lai par tām lietām, kurās tie nosoda jūs kā ļaundarus, tie, vērodami jūsu labos darbus, slavē Dievu piemeklēšanas dienā. 13 Pakļaujieties Kunga dēļ ikvienai cilvēku vidū iedibinātai varai, vai tas būtu ķēniņš, kas ir pār visiem, 14 vai valdītāji, kas caur viņu sūtīti, lai tie ļaundarus sodītu un tos, kas labu darījuši, uzslavētu! 15 Jo tāda ir Dieva griba, ka tie, kas labu dara, apklusina nesaprātīgu ļaužu nezināšanu. 16 Būdami brīvi, neizmantojiet savu brīvību kā ļaunuma aizsegu, bet esiet kā Dieva kalpi, – 17 godājiet visus, mīliet ticības brāļus, bīstieties Dieva, godiniet ķēniņu –
Arī Kristus ir pacietis netaisnību
18 kalpi lai visā bijībā pakļaujas saviem kungiem – ne tikai labajiem un laipnajiem, bet arī nelietīgajiem. 19 Tā ir Dieva žēlastība, ja kāds, netaisnīgi ciezdams, panes bēdas, apzinoties Dieva klātbūtni. 20 Kāda gan slava ir, ja izturat, kad saņemat sitienus apgrēkošanās dēļ? Bet, ja izturat un ciešat laba darba dēļ, Dieva priekšā tā ir žēlastība. 21 Uz to jūs esat aicināti, jo arī Kristus ir cietis jūsu dēļ, atstādams jums paraugu, lai jūs sekotu viņa pēdās. 22 Viņš grēku nav darījis, nedz viltus ir skanējis no viņa mutes. 23 Kad viņu zākāja, viņš nezākāja pretī, ciezdams viņš nedraudēja, bet padevīgi nodeva sevi tiesātājam pēc likuma. 24 Viņš mūsu grēkus savā miesā labprātīgi uznesa pie krusta , lai mēs, miruši grēkiem, sāktu dzīvot taisnu dzīvi; ar viņa brūcēm jūs esat dziedināti. 25 Jūs bijāt kā klīstošas avis, bet tagad esat atgriezušies pie sava Gana un dvēseļu Sarga.
