1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house2:5 Or into a temple of the Spirit to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”2:6 Isaiah 28:16
7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”2:7 Psalm 118:22
8and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”2:8 Isaiah 8:14
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 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.
Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society
11Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
18Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”2:22 Isaiah 53:9
23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25For “you were like sheep going astray,”2:24,25 Isaiah 53:4,5,6 (see Septuagint) but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1Odbacite zato od sebe svaku pakost i prijevaru, svako licemjerje, zavist i klevetanje. 2Vi ste u duhu tek rođena dječica. Zato čeznite za čistim duhovnim mlijekom, da od njega možete uzrasti do punine spasenja, 3ako ste već iskusili Gospodinovu dobrotu.
Živo kamenje i izabrani narod
4Pristupite Kristu, živome kamenu Božjega hrama. Ljudi su ga odbacili, ali je dragocjen u očima Boga koji ga je izabrao. 5Bog sada ugrađuje i vas, kao živo kamenje, u svoj duhovni hram. Štoviše, vi ste Božje sveto svećenstvo koje prinosi duhovne žrtve, Bogu ugodne zbog Isusa Krista. 6Kao što kaže Sveto pismo:
“Evo, postavljam na Sionu
odabrani i dragocjeni
ugaoni kamen temeljac.
Tko u njega vjeruje,
sigurno se neće postidjeti.”2:6 Izaija 28:16.
7Dragocjen je vama koji vjerujete. A za one koji ne vjeruju
“kamen koji su graditelji odbacili
postane ugaonim kamenom”,2:7 Psalam 118:22.
8ali i:
“kamenom spoticanja i stijenom posrtanja”.2:8 Izaija 8:14.
Ljudi se o taj kamen spotiču zato što nisu poslušni Božjoj riječi. To je njihova sudbina.
9Ali vi niste takvi jer ste odabranici. Vi ste kraljevstvo svećenika, Božji sveti narod, njegovo vlasništvo. Možete drugima govoriti o čudesnim Božjim djelima jer vas je on iz tame pozvao u svoje divno svjetlo.
10“Nekoć niste ni bili narod,
a sada ste narod Božji.
Nekoć niste primali Božjeg milosrđa,
a sada vam je Bog iskazao milosrđe.”2:10 Hošea 1:6; 2:25.
11Draga braćo i sestre, ovdje ste samo pridošlice i tuđinci. Opominjem vas: klonite se grešnih požuda jer one vojuju protiv vaše duše! 12Pazite kako živite među nevjernicima. Ako vas i optuže za zlo, vidjet će vaše časno ponašanje pa će povjerovati u Boga i dati mu slavu kad dođe suditi svijet.2:12 U grčkome: na dan pohođenja.
Treba poštivati vlasti
13Svakoj se ljudskoj vlasti pokoravajte zbog Gospodina: i kralju, jer je poglavar države, 14i dužnosnicima koje je postavio—jer ih je postavio da kazne zločince i da pohvale one koji čine dobro. 15Doista, Božja je volja da svojim uzornim životima ušutkate bezumnike koji vas neosnovano optužuju. 16Niste robovi, već slobodni ljudi. Ali ne koristite se svojom slobodom kao izgovorom da činite zlo. Jer slobodni ste da živite kao Božji sluge. 17Svakomu iskazujte poštovanje. Volite braću i sestre kršćane. Bojte se boga. Kralju iskazujte čast.
Upute slugama
18Sluge, budite pokorni svojim gospodarima i iskazujte im dužno poštovanje, i to ne samo onima koji su dobri i blagi nego i ako su zle ćudi. 19Jer ugodit ćete Bogu budete li, zaradi svoje savjesti i Boga, strpljivo podnosili nepravdu i patnju. 20Kakva će vam, naime, biti zasluga podnosite li strpljivo udarce za ono što ste skrivili? Ali ako trpite i strpljivo podnosite udarce zato što činite dobro, ugodit ćete Bogu. 21Na to vas je trpljenje Bog pozvao. Jer Krist je trpio za vas i bio vam uzor da slijedite njegove stope.
22“On nikad nije zgriješio,
niti je laž izišla iz njegovih usta.”
23Na uvredu nije odgovarao uvredom. Kad su ga mučili, nije prijetio osvetom, nego ju je prepustio pravednom sucu. 24U vlastitome je tijelu ponio naše grijehe na križ da mi možemo umrijeti grijehu i živjeti za pravednost. Njegovim ste ranama iscijeljeni. 25Lutali ste poput ovaca, ali sada ste se obratili pastiru i čuvaru svojih duša.
