Prva Petrova poslanica 2

1 Odbacite zato od sebe svaku pakost i prijevaru, svako licemjerje, zavist i klevetanje.2 Vi ste u duhu tek rođena dječica. Zato čeznite za čistim duhovnim mlijekom, da od njega možete uzrasti do punine spasenja,

3 ako ste već iskusili Gospodinovu dobrotu.

Živo kamenje i izabrani narod

4 Pristupite Kristu, živome kamenu Božjega hrama. Ljudi su ga odbacili, ali je dragocjen u očima Boga koji ga je izabrao.5 Bog 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.

6 Kao što kaže Sveto pismo:
"Evo, stavljam na Sion
odabrani i dragocjeni
ugaoni kamen temeljac.
Tko u njega vjeruje,
sigurno se neće postidjeti."7 Dragocjen je vama koji vjerujete. A za one koji ne vjeruju
"kamen koji su graditelji odbacili
postade ugaonim kamenom",8 ali i "kamenom spoticanja i stijenom posrtanja".
Ljudi se o taj kamen spotiču zato što nisu poslušni Božjoj riječi. To je njihova sudbina.9 Ali 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."11 Draga braćo i sestre, ovdje ste samo pridošlice i tuđinci. Opominjem vas: klonite se grešnih požuda jer one vojuju protiv vaše duše!

12 Pazite 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.

Treba poštivati vlasti

13 Svakoj se ljudskoj vlasti pokoravajte zbog Gospodina: i kralju, jer je poglavar države,

14 i dužnosnicima koje je postavio - jer ih je postavio da kazne zločince i da pohvale one koji čine dobro.
15 Božja je volja da svojim uzornim životima ušutkate bezumnike koji vas neosnovano optužuju.16 Niste robovi, već slobodni ljudi. Ali ne koristite se svojom slobodom kao izgovorom da činite zlo. Jer slobodni ste da živite kao Božji sluge.

17 Svakomu iskazujte poštovanje. Volite braću i sestre kršćane. Bojte se boga. Kralju iskazujte čast.

Upute slugama

18 Sluge, 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.19 Jer ugodit ćete Bogu budete li, zaradi svoje savjesti i Boga, strpljivo podnosili nepravdu i patnju.

20 Kakva 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.
21 Na 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 izustio laž".23 Na uvredu nije odgovarao uvredom. Kad su ga mučili, nije prijetio osvetom, nego ju je prepustio pravednom sucu.24 U vlastitome je tijelu ponio naše grijehe na križ da mi možemo umrijeti grijehu i živjeti za pravednost. Njegovim ste ranama iscijeljeni!

25 Lutali ste poput ovaca, ali sada ste se obratili pastiru i čuvaru svojih duša.

1 Peter 2

1 So get rid oft all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.2 Andt yearnt like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk,t so that by it you may grow up tot salvation,s

3 if you have experiencedtthe Lord’s kindness.s

A Living Stone, a Chosen People

4 So as you come to him,t a living stone rejected by men butt chosen and pricelesst in God’s sight,5 you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offert spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.6 For it sayst in scripture, “Look, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and priceless cornerstone,tand whoever believestin himtwill nevertbe put to shame.”s7 So you who believe seet his value,t but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become thetcornerstone,s8 and a stumbling-stonetand a rock to trip over.s They stumblet because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.t9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtuess of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

10 Yout once were not a people, but now you are God’s people. You were shown no mercy,s 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 conductt among the non-Christians,t so that thought they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears.t

Submission to Authorities

13 Be subject to every human institutiont for the Lord’s sake, whether to a king as supreme14 or to governors as those he commissionst to punish wrongdoers and praiset those who do good.15 For God wants yout to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.16 Livet as free people, not using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but as God’s slaves.ts

17 Honor all people, love the family of believers,t fear God, honor the king.
18 Slaves,t be subjectt to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are perverse.19 For this finds God’s favor,t if because of conscience toward Godst someone endures hardships in suffering unjustly.20 For what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it? But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God.t21 For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps.22 Hetcommitted no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth.s23 When he was maligned, het did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatenedt no retaliation,s but committed himself to Godt who judges justly.24 Hethimself bore our sinss in his body on the tree, that we may cease from sinningt and live for righteousness. By histwoundstyou were healed.s

25 For you were going astray like sheeps but now you have turned back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.