A Living Stone and a Holy Nation
1 Stop being hateful! Quit trying to fool people, and start being sincere. Don't be jealous or say cruel things about others. 2 Be like newborn babies who are thirsty for the pure spiritual milk that will help you grow and be saved. 3 You have already found out how good the Lord really is.
4 Come to Jesus Christ. He is the living stone people have rejected, but which God has chosen and highly honored. 5 And now you are living stones being used to build a spiritual house. You are also a group of holy priests, and with the help of Jesus Christ you will offer sacrifices that please God. 6 It is just as God says in the Scriptures,
“Look! I am placing in Zion
a choice and precious
cornerstone.
No one who has faith
in this one
will be disappointed.”
7 You are followers of the Lord, and this stone is precious to you. But it isn't precious to those who refuse to follow him. They are the builders who tossed aside the stone that turned out to be the most important one of all. 8 They disobeyed the message and stumbled and fell over this stone, because they were doomed.
9 But you are God's chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things he has done. The Scriptures say,
10 “Once you were nobody.
Now you are God's people.
At one time no one
had mercy on you.
Now God has treated you
with kindness.”
Live as God's Servants Should
11 Dear friends, you are foreigners and strangers on this earth. So I beg you not to surrender to those desires that fight against you. 12 Always let others see you behaving properly, even though they may still accuse you of doing wrong. Then on the day of judgment, they will honor God by telling the good things they saw you do.
13 The Lord wants you to obey all human authorities, especially the Emperor, who rules over everyone. 14 You must also obey governors, because they are sent by the Emperor to punish criminals and to praise good citizens. 15 God wants you to silence stupid and ignorant people by doing right. 16 You are free, but still you are God's servants, and you must not use your freedom as an excuse for doing wrong. 17 Respect everyone and show special love for God's people. Honor God and respect the Emperor.
The Example of Christ's Suffering
18 Servants, you must obey your masters and always show respect to them. Do this, not only to those who are kind and thoughtful, but also to those who are cruel. 19 God will bless you, even if others treat you unfairly for being loyal to him. 20 You don't gain anything by being punished for some wrong you have done. But God will bless you, if you have to suffer for doing something good. 21 After all, God chose you to suffer as you follow in the footsteps of Christ, who set an example by suffering for you.
22 Christ did not sin
or ever tell a lie.
23 Although he was abused,
he never tried to get even.
And when he suffered,
he made no threats.
Instead, he had faith in God,
who judges fairly.
24 Christ carried the burden
of our sins.
He was nailed to the cross,
so we would stop sinning
and start living right.
By his cuts and bruises
you are healed.
25 You had wandered away
like sheep.
Now you have returned
to the one
who is your shepherd
and protector.
Emanya li na omwenyo noshigwana oshiyapuki
1 Etheni ano uuwinayi auhe niifundja, uufudhime, efupa noohapu adhihe dhomahokolo. 2 Ihe kaleni onguuhanona mwa sa enota aluhe lyomahinihini gopambepo. Ngele tamu ga nu, otamu koko e tamu hupithwa. 3 Ongaashi enyolo tali ti: “One omwa makela uuwanawa wOmuwa.”
4 Ileni kOmuwa, okemanya li na omwenyo, lye ekelwahi kaantu ongolyaa na oshilonga, ihe Kalunga okwe li hogolola nokwe li tala li na oshilonga. 5 Ileni ongomamanya ge na omwenyo, mu igandje e tamu ningi iitungitha yotempeli yopambepo. Muka otamu ka ninga aayambi aayapuki yokuyamba omayambo gopambepo noga hokiwa kuKalunga molwaJesus Kristus. 6 Oshoka enyolo otali ti:
“Onda hogolola emanya lya simana,
ndyoka tandi li ningi ngashingeyi emanya lyokolonela muSion.
Nakehe ngoka te mu itaale,
ita sithwa ohoni.”
7 Emanya ndika oli na oshilonga oshinene kune mboka mwi itaala; ihe kumboka inaa itaala:
“Emanya tuu ndyoka aatungi ye li ekelehi,
olya ningi emanya li na oshilonga li vule agehe.”
8 Enyolo ekwawo otali ti:
“Emanya ndika otali pundukitha aantu.
Emanya ndyoka tali ya gwilitha po.”
Oyo otaa punduka, oshoka inaa itaala ohapu ndjika. Shika osho Kalunga a li e ya halela.
9 Ihe one ezimo lya hogololwa, aayambi yOmukwaniilwa, oshigwana oshiyapuki, aantu yaKalunga mwene mwa hogololwa, mu hokolole iilonga ye iinene. Kalunga okwe mu ithana mo momilema, mu ye muuyelele we uukumithi. 10 Nale kamwa li aantu yaKalunga, ihe ngashingeyi omwa ningi aantu ye. Nale omwa li inaamu tseya esilohenda lyaKalunga, ihe ngashingeyi omu li shi.
Aapiya yaKalunga
11 Aaholike, one oondjendi naakwiilongo muuyuni mbuka. Onkee otandi mu kumagidha, inamu etha, mu pangelwe kuuhalu wopantu mboka tau hindi aluhe omwenyo. 12 Kaleni wo mu na omikalo omiwanawa mokati kaapagani, opo uuna taye mu lundile kutya one aayoni, ya dhimbulule iilonga yeni iiwanawa noya ka hambelele Kalunga mesiku ndyoka te ke ya.
13 OmolwOmuwa vulikeni kepangelo kehe lyokombanda yevi: Komupangeli, ngoka e li kombanda yaayehe, 14 nokaaleli mboka ye li kohi yepangelo lye, oomboka ya tumwa okugeela aayoni nokupandula mboka haa longo uuwanawa. 15 Oshoka Kalunga okwa hala, mu mweneke okupopya kwaagoya niilonga iiwanawa. 16 Kaleni mu na emanguluko, ndele emanguluko lyeni inamu li longitha okusiikila uukolokoshi, ihe kaleni ongaapiya yaKalunga. 17 Simanekeni aantu ayehe, holeni ooitaali ooyakweni, tileni Kalunga ne mu simaneke omupangeli.
Taleni oshiholelwa shokuhepekwa kwaKristus
18 Aalelwa, vulikeni kooyene yeni ne mu ya simaneke. Inamu vulika owala kwaamboka aawanawa naanambili, ihe nokumboka wo ye na onyanya. 19 Kalunga ote ke mu yambeka, ngele tamu idhidhimikile omahepeko, naasho mwa tseya kutya shika osho ehalo lye. 20 Oshoka otashi mu kwatha shike, ngele tamu idhidhimikile omadhengo, ihe nani omwa yona? Ihe ngele tamu idhidhimikile omahepeko nuuna inaamu yona sha, nena Kalunga ote shi mu yambekele. 21 Oshoka oshinima sha tya ngeyi osho Kalunga e mu ithanene. Oshoka Kristus wo okwa hepekwa omolweni nokwe mu thigile oshiholelwa, opo mu landule ondjila ndjoka a li e yi ende. 22 Oye ina yona nando; kaku na omuntu gumwe u uvu iifundja yasha tayi zi mokana ke. 23 Ina tuka mboka ye mu tuku; naasho a hepekwa, ina sa ondjahi, ihe okwi inekele Kalunga, omupanguli omuyuuki. 24 Kristus okwa humbata oondjo dhetu komapepe ge sigo okomushigakano, opo tu vule okumanguluka muulunde, tu ninge aayuuki. One omwa aludhwa kiilalo ye. 25 Omwa li mwa fa oonzi dha kana, ihe ngashingeyi omwa galulilwa kegumbo, opo mu landule omusita nomutekuli gwoomwenyo dheni.
