[a]To whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed of men, but chosen of God and precious,

Ye also as lively stones, be made a spiritual house, [b]an holy (A)Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

[c]Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, (B)Behold, I put in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect and precious, and he that believeth therein, shall not be ashamed.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 2:4 He goeth on forward in the same exhortation, and useth another kind of borrowed speech, alluding to the Temple. Therefore he saith, that the company of the faithful is as it were a certain holy and spiritual building, built of lively stones, the foundation whereof is Christ, as a lively stone sustaining all that are joined unto him with his living virtue, and knitting them together with himself, although this so great a treasure be neglected of men.
  2. 1 Peter 2:5 Going forward in the same similitude, he compareth us now to Priests placed to this end in that spiritual temple, that we should serve him with spiritual worship, that is, with holiness and righteousness: but as the temple, so is the Priesthood built upon Christ, in whom only all our spiritual offerings are accepted.
  3. 1 Peter 2:6 He proveth it by the testimony of the Prophet Isaiah.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

As you come to him, the living Stone(A)—rejected by humans but chosen by God(B) and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built(C) into a spiritual house[a](D) to be a holy priesthood,(E) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.(F) For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,(G)
and the one who trusts in him
    will never be put to shame.”[b](H)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 2:5 Or into a temple of the Spirit
  2. 1 Peter 2:6 Isaiah 28:16