1 Peter 1:22-2:8

22Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one

another earnestly from a pure heart, 23since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of

imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24for

“All flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

and the flower falls,

25but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

1So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2Like newborn

infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3if indeed you have

tasted that the Lord is good.

4As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,

5you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer

spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,

a cornerstone chosen and precious,

and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

7So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,”

8and

“A stone of stumbling,

and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.