The Living Stone and the Holy Nation
1 Rid yourselves, then, of all evil; no more lying or hypocrisy or jealousy or insulting language. 2 Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow up and be saved. 3 As the scripture says, “You have found out for yourselves how kind the Lord is.”
4 Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable. 5 Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For the scripture says,
“I chose a valuable stone,
which I am placing as the cornerstone in Zion;
and whoever believes in him will never be disappointed.”
7 This stone is of great value for you that believe; but for those who do not believe:
“The stone which the builders rejected as worthless
turned out to be the most important of all.”
8 And another scripture says,
“This is the stone that will make people stumble,
the rock that will make them fall.”
They stumbled because they did not believe in the word; such was God's will for them.
9 But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light. 10 At one time you were not God's people, but now you are his people; at one time you did not know God's mercy, but now you have received his mercy.
Slaves of God
11 I appeal to you, my friends, as strangers and refugees in this world! Do not give in to bodily passions, which are always at war against the soul. 12 Your conduct among the heathen should be so good that when they accuse you of being evildoers, they will have to recognize your good deeds and so praise God on the Day of his coming.
13 For the sake of the Lord submit yourselves to every human authority: to the Emperor, who is the supreme authority, 14 and to the governors, who have been appointed by him to punish the evildoers and to praise those who do good. 15 For God wants you to silence the ignorant talk of foolish people by the good things you do. 16 Live as free people; do not, however, use your freedom to cover up any evil, but live as God's slaves. 17 Respect everyone, love other believers, honor God, and respect the Emperor.
The Example of Christ's Suffering
18 You servants must submit yourselves to your masters and show them complete respect, not only to those who are kind and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 God will bless you for this, if you endure the pain of undeserved suffering because you are conscious of his will. 20 For what credit is there if you endure the beatings you deserve for having done wrong? But if you endure suffering even when you have done right, God will bless you for it. 21 It was to this that God called you, for Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie come from his lips. 23 When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judge. 24 Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that you have been healed. 25 You were like sheep that had lost their way, but now you have been brought back to follow the Shepherd and Keeper of your souls.
ǃAnu ǁaes
1 ǁNā-amaga ǁguiǁnâ ǂkhabasib hoab, gāxaǃnâsib, ǀgamaixasib, surigub tsî mîǁgaiǁgaigub hoaba, 2 î du ǀase ǃnae hâ ǀgôaron xase, turaxaba ǃanu gagasi dai-e, î du ǁî-e ra āse ǀomkhâi tsî ǃgâiǃō kaihe. 3 Sadu ge ǀnai ǃKhūb di ǃgâiba tsâtsâ hâ. 4 ǁÎb tawa hā. ǁÎb ge ûitsama ǀui, khoen xa ge ǂharaheb, xawe Elob xa ge ǃkhōǂuibasenhe tsî ǀgapi ǃgôaheba. 5 Tsî nēsi du ge sado ǁnā ûitsama ǀui, gagasi om-i nî ǂnubi-ūhedo. Sadu ge ǁkhāti ǃanu pristerse nî ǃoaba tsî gagasi ǁguiba-i Eloba ūǃoasaba-e nî ǁguiba, Jesub Xristub* ǃnâ-u. 6 ǁNā-amaga i ge Xoas ǃnâ xoahe hâ:
“Mû, tita ge ǀuib
ǁhûiǂuisa tsî ǃgomǀgausaba
Sions ǃnâ ǁhôaǀuib ase ra ǁgui.
ǁÎb ǃnâ ra ǂgom-i hoa-i ge taotaohe tide.”
7 Sadu ǂgom hâdob ge a ǃgomǀgausaba, xawe i ge ǂgomoǃnân ǃoa ra mîhe:
“ǁNā ǀuib, ǂnubi-aogu xa ge ǂharaheb
ge ge ǁhôaǀui kai”
8 Tsî
“ǀUib khoena nî ǃnôa kaib
tsî ǃhaob ǁîna nî ǁnā kaiba.”
ǁÎn ge nî ǃnôa, ǁîn mîsa ǁnâuǀnam tama amaga, ǁnātis ge Elob ǂâisa ǁîn ǃaroma ge ī i.
9 Xawe sadu ge a ǃkhōǂuibasensa ǃhao, gao-aosi pristersi tsî a ǃanu ǁae. Elob ge sado ǃkhaenaba xu ǁîb buruxa ǃnâb ǃoa ge hā-ū tsî du ge nēsi ǁîb buruxa dīn xa nî ǃhoa.
10 “Sadu aibe ge ǁaese ī tama hâ i,
xawe nēsi Elob di ǁaedo.
Aibe ǀkhomxahe tama ge hâ i
xawe nēsi ǀkhomxahe hâdo.”
Elob di ǃoaba-aon ase ûi
11 ǀNamsabedo, sadu ǃhaokhoese tsî ǃhūsabese īdo ta ra ǁnama, sorosi turagu ǀoms ǃoagu ra ǃkhamga xu ūdabasen. 12 ǁKhāti sadu tanisensa Jodeǁî taman ǃnâ ǃgâiǂūxase ūhâ, în sadu xan ga ǂkhabadī-aon ase ǃhoao, sadu ǃgâi sîsenga mû tsî Eloba kare ǁîb di Hātsēs ai.
13 Khoesi ǂnûiǂgā-i hoa-e ǃnaka hâba ǃKhūb ǃaroma, gao-aob kao, hoan xa kai ǀgaiba ūhâb ase, 14 ǀkharisi mûǂamaogu kao, ǂkhabadī-aona ǁkhara tsî nî ǃgâidī-aona koase ǁîb xa ǁgaumâihe hâga. 15 Elob ge ǁnā ǃhoaxūn gâre khoen ra ǃhoana du nî sadu di ǃgâi dīgu ǀkha ǃnōǃnō ǃkhaisa ra ǂhâba. 16 ǃNorasa du ge a, xawe du ge sadu ǃnorasasiba ǂkhabab di ǃgū-aixūse ūhâ tama, xawe Elob di ǃgādu ase ûi. 17 Mâ-i hoa-e ǃgôa, ǂgomsabena ǀnam, Eloba ǃao î gao-aoba ǃgôa.
Xristub tsâb di aiǁgaus
18 Sadu ǃgādo, ǃaoǃgâb ǀkha ǀhonkhoena ǃnaka hâba, ǃgâi tsî tsamtsiǃnân ǀguin ose xawe ǁkhō-an tsîna. 19 Elob nî nēs ǂama ǀkhae tsi xui-ao, sats ǃoagu ga ǂhanuoǃnâ-i di tsûbats ga tsâo, Elob ǃoaguts ga ǂgomǂgomsa ǂgao ǃkhais ǃaroma. 20 Tare xū-e i nî harebeba tsi, tsūdī tsîts ga ǁnās ǃaroma ǂnauheo? Xawe ǃgâidī tsîts ga ǁnās ǃaroma tsâ tsî ǁîsa tani, ob ge Eloba sats ǃnâ ǃgâiǃgâibasensa ūhâ. 21 ǁNās ǃoa du ǂgaihe hâ xui-ao, Xristub tsîn ge sado tsâba tsîb ge aiǁgau-e ǃgoroba du amaga, Elob di daoga du nî saose. 22 ǁÎb ǁore-i xare-e dī tamab tsî ams âba xu i gāxaǃnâsi-i xare-e ǂoaxa tamaba. 23 ǁÎb ǃkhāǃkhāheb geo, ǃkhāǃkhā ǃoa tamab tsî tsâb geo, mâǃoa tamab, xawe ǁîb di ǃâubasensa Elob ǂhanu-ai ǀGoraǃgâ-aob ǃomǁae ge māǁnâba. 24 ǁÎb, sada ǁorena ǁîb di soros ǂûs ǃnâ ǃgâuhaib* ai ge taniǃapab, ǁorena ǁōǁnâ hâse da nî ǂhanu-aisiba ûibaga. ǁÎb di ǀhapina xu da ge ǂgauba. 25 ǁHapuma ra gūn xase du ge ī i, xawe du kom nēsi ǃhobasen hâo sadu ǀomdi di ǃÛi-aob tsî Sâu-aob ǃoa.
