Therefore put away from yourselves all wickedness and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and slander.

And be like newborn infants and long for the word as for the pure and spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to life,

if you have tasted and seen that Master YHWH is good,

to whom you are coming, who is a living stone rejected by the sons of men, but chosen and precious with Elohim.

And you also, as living stones, are being built and become a spiritual temple and holy priests to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable before Elohim through Y'shua the Mashiyach.

For it is said in the writing, Look, I am laying in Tsiyon a chosen and precious stone, the head of the corner, and whoever believes in him will not be ashamed.

So to you who believe this honor is given; but to those who are not persuaded,

he is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. And they stumble on it because they are not persuaded by the word, to which they are appointed.

But you are a chosen race, a priesthood for the kingdom, a holy people, a redeemed assembly, that you may declare the praises of him who called you from darkness to his excellent light:

who once were not counted a people, but now are the people of Elohim; and also there were once no mercies on you, but now mercies are poured out on you.

My beloved, I beg you as strangers and sojourners: keep yourselves from all the lusts of the body, these that make war against the soul.

And let your ways be beautiful before all the sons of men, so that those who speak evil words against you may see your good works and praise Elohim in the day of visitation.

And be submissive to all the sons of men because of Elohim, to the king because of their authority;

and to judges, because they are sent from him for the punishment of wrongdoers and for the praise of those who do good.

For this is the will of Elohim, that by your good works you may shut the mouth of the foolish who do not know Elohim:

as free men, and not as men who make their freedom a cover for their wickedness, but as the servants of Elohim.

Honor everyone; love your brothers; fear Elohim; and honor the king.

And those among you who are servants, be subject to your masters with fear, not only to the good and gentle but also to the harsh and difficult.

For these have favor before Elohim, those who because of a good conscience endure the sorrows that come upon them wrongfully.

But those who endure affliction because of their folly, what praise is theirs? But when you do what is good and they afflict you and you endure, then your praise is great with Elohim.

For to this you were called, because Mashiyach also died for us and left us this pattern, that you should walk in his steps.

He who did no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

He who was reviled and did not revile, and suffered and did not threaten, but committed his cause to the Judge of righteousness.

And he took all our sins and lifted them in his body to the cross, that when we die to sin we might live by his righteousness; for by his wounds you were healed.

For you once went astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Curator of your souls.