Greeting
1 aPeter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the bDispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the cforeknowledge of God the Father, in the dsanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for esprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
4 As you come to him, a living stone wrejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being xbuilt up as a spiritual yhouse, to be a holy zpriesthood, to offer aspiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
b“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a ccornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
d“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”1
8 and
e“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were fdestined to do.
9 But you are ga chosen race, ha royal priesthood, a holy nation, ia people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you jout of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 kOnce you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
