1 Petrus 2

Jesus Christus is die hoek-klip

1 Daarom moet julle ophou om enige iets te doen wat sleg is en julle moenie iemand tbedrieg nie. Julle moet ook nie tskynheilig en jaloers wees en slegte dinge sê van ander mense nie. 2 Klein babatjies wil baie graag melk drink, so moet julle ook graag vol wil word van tgeestelike dinge. Dit is soos regte melk wat nie vals is nie en wat julle só sal laat groei dat die Here julle sal red.

3 Julle verlang na hierdie dinge, want tjulle het self gevoel dat die Here goed is.
4 Julle moet na Christus toe kom, Hy is soos ’n klip wat lewe. tDie mense wou nie die klip gebruik om te bou nie, maar God het daardie klip gekies en dit was die belangrikste klip in die gebou. 5 Julle is ook soos klippe wat lewe, julle moet bid dat God sy Gees sal gebruik om sy huis te bou met julle. Dan kan julle tgewyde priesters wees om toffers vir God te bring. Dit is Jesus Christus wat vir julle help om te offer soos die Gees wil hê, sodat God van hierdie offers sal hou.

6 Want ons lees in die Ou Testament:
tKyk, Ek sit in tSion ’n klip neer,
dit is ’n thoek-klip
wat Ek gekies het
en wat baie tkosbaar is.
Die mense wat in Hom glo,
sal veilig wees.

7 Daarom, julle wat in Jesus Christus glo, sal ook vir Hom baie kosbaar wees. Maar daar is mense wat nie in Hom glo nie. Vir hulle is dit waar wat in die Ou Testament geskryf is:
tDie klip wat die bouers
nie wou gebruik nie,
daardie klip
het die belangrikste klip
in die gebou geword.

8 Daar is ook geskryf:
tHy is ’n klip waarteen hulle stamp,
’n rots waaroor hulle val.
Hulle val oor die rots omdat hulle nie geglo het wat God gesê het nie. Dit was God se plan dat dit met hulle moet gebeur.

9 Maar julle is God se volk, God het vir julle gekies, julle is die tpriesters oor wie Hy regeer, julle is ’n tgewyde volk, sy eie volk wat vir almal moet vertel van die groot dinge wat God gedoen het. Hy het vir julle geroep om uit die donker na Hom toe te kom, na Hom wat in die wonderlike lig is.

10  tToe was julle nie ’n volk nie,
maar nou is julle God se volk.
Toe was God nie goed
vir julle nie,
maar nou is Hy goed vir julle.

Hoe die volk van God moet lewe

12 Julle moet goeie dinge doen terwyl julle tussen die theidene lewe. Wanneer die heidene slegte dinge sê van julle, en hulle sê julle doen verkeerd, dan moet hulle kan sien dat julle goeie dinge doen. Dan sal hulle vir God prys op die dag wanneer Hy sal kom om almal te red wat glo.

Die gelowiges en die regering

17 Julle moet al die mense teer, julle moet lief wees vir die mense wat in die Here glo, julle moet God teer en dien, julle moet die keiser eer.

Slawe en eienaars

21 God het vir julle gekies om goeie dinge te doen en om swaar te kry, want Christus het ook swaargekry vir julle. So het Hy vir julle ’n tvoorbeeld gegee sodat julle Hom kan volg.

22  tHy het nie sonde gedoen nie,
en Hy het niemand tbedrieg nie.
23 Toe mense vir Christus tbeledig het, het Hy nie ook vir hulle beledig nie. Toe mense vir Hom laat swaarkry het, het Hy nie gesê dat Hy ook vir hulle sal laat swaarkry nie. Hy het hulle gelos sodat God reg kan toordeel oor hulle. 24 Toe Hy aan die tkruis gehang het, thet Hy die straf vir ons sondes gedra, sodat ons glad nie meer sondes sal doen nie, maar sodat ons kan lewe om te doen wat God wil hê. tHy het seergekry sodat julle gesond kan wees. 25 tWant julle was soos skape, julle elkeen het geloop waar hy wou loop, maar nou het julle teruggekom na Christus toe. Hy is die tHerder, die Een wat vir julle sorg.

1 Peter 2

1 So get rid of every kind of evil. Stop telling lies. Don't pretend to be something you are not. Stop wanting what others have. Don't speak against each other.
2 Like babies that were just born, you should long for the pure milk of God's word. It will help you grow up as believers.3 You can do it now that you have tasted how good the Lord is.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

4 Christ is the living Stone. People did not accept him. But God chose him. God places the highest value on him.
5 You also are like living stones. As you come to him you are being built into a house for worship. There you will be holy priests. You will offer spiritual sacrifices. God will accept them because of what Jesus Christ has done.

6 In Scripture it says,
"Look! I am placing a stone in Zion.
It is a chosen and very valuable stone.
It is the most important stone in the building.
The one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame." (Isaiah 28:16)

7 The stone is very valuable to you who believe. But to people who do not believe,
"The stone the builders did not accept
has become the most important stone of all." (Psalm 118:22)

8 And,
"It is a stone that causes people to trip.
It is a rock that makes them fall." (Isaiah 8:14)
They trip and fall because they do not obey the message. That is also what God planned for them.
9 But God chose you to be his people. You are royal priests. You are a holy nation. You are a people who belong to God. All of this is so that you can sing his praises. He brought you out of darkness into his wonderful light.10 Once 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.
11 Dear friends, you are outsiders and strangers in this world. So I'm asking you not to give in to your sinful longings. They fight against your soul.12 People who don't believe might say you are doing wrong. But lead good lives among them. Then they will see your good works. And they will give glory to God on the day he comes to judge.

Obey Your Rulers and Masters

13 Follow the lead of every human authority. Do it because the Lord wants you to. Obey the king. He is the highest authority.14 Obey the governors. The king sends them to punish those who do wrong. He also sends them to praise those who do right.15 By doing good you will put a stop to the talk of foolish people. They don't know what they are saying. God wants you to stop them.
16 Live like free people. But don't use your freedom to cover up evil. Live like people who serve God.17 Show proper respect to everyone. Love the community of believers. Have respect for God. Honor the king.
18 Slaves, obey your masters with all the respect you should give them. Obey not only those who are good and kind. Obey also those who are not kind.19 Suppose a person suffers pain unfairly because he wants to obey God. That is worthy of praise.20 But suppose you receive a beating for doing wrong, and you put up with it. Will anyone honor you for that? Of course not. But suppose you suffer for doing good, and you put up with it. God will praise you for that.
21 Christ suffered for you. He left you an example. He expects you to follow in his steps. You too were chosen to suffer.

22 Scripture says,
"He didn't commit any sin.
No lies ever came out of his mouth." (Isaiah 53:9)

23 People shouted at him and made fun of him. But he didn't do the same back to them. He suffered. But he didn't say that bad things would happen to them. Instead, he trusted in the One who judges fairly.
24 He himself carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did it so that we would die as far as sins are concerned. Then we would lead godly lives. His wounds have made you whole.
25 You were like sheep who were wandering away. But now you have returned to the Shepherd. He is the Leader of your souls.