¹Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
²as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
³if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
⁴To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
⁵ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
⁶Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture,

Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious:

And he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

⁷Unto you therefore which believe heis precious: but unto them which be disobedient,

The stone which the builders disallowed,

The same is made the head of the corner,

⁸and

A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence,

even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

⁹But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
¹⁰which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

King James Version 1611 (Authorized Version). Copyright status: UK English with BFBS additions © 2011 British and Foreign Bible Society; Crown Copyright in UK