3. if you have experienced the Lord’s kindness.
4. So as you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and priceless in God’s sight,
5. you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6. For it says in scripture, “Look, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and priceless cornerstone, and whoever believes in him will never be put to shame.”
7. So you who believe see his value, but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,
8. and a stumbling-stone and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10. You once were not a people, but now you are God’s people. You were shown no mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11. Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to keep away from fleshly desires that do battle against the soul,
12. and maintain good conduct among the non-Christians, so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears.
13. Be subject to every human institution for the Lord’s sake, whether to a king as supreme
14. or to governors as those he commissions to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do good.
15. For God wants you to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.
16. Live as free people, not using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but as God’s slaves.
17. Honor all people, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king.