1 Peter 2

Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2as newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby, 3if indeed

“you have tasted that the LORD1 is gracious.”  2

4Come to him, a Living Stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God3, precious. 5You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through ‘ISA4 AL-MASIH5. 6Because it is contained in Al-Kitab6,

“Behold, I lay in Al-Quds7 a chief cornerstone, chosen, and precious: Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.” 8

7For you therefore who believe is the honour, but for such as are disobedient,

“The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner,” 9

8and,

“A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” 10

For they stumble at the Word, being disobedient, for which also they were appointed. 9But you are

a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, 11

that you may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10In time past you were not his people, but now you are the people of God. Before, you had not obtained mercy, but now you have obtained mercy. 11Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. 12Have such good behaviour among the nations that even though they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day he visits them. 13Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme; 14or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to those who do well. 15For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16as free men, though not using your freedom as a cloak of wickedness, but as slaves of God.

17Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. 18Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked. 19For it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God. 20For what good is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if for doing right you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God. 21For to this you were called, because AL-MASIH also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps, 22who did not sin, 

“neither was deceit found in his mouth.” 12

23Who, when he was cursed, didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously; 24who his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; 

by whose wounds you were healed. 13
25For you were going astray like sheep, 14

but are now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

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  1. 2:3 LORD, the use of all capital letters means that the original Hebrew text quoted here uses God’s Name, YAHWEH, which God-fearing Jews to this day do not say out of respect. YAHWEH is the Name God revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.” ↩︎
  2. 2:3 Paraphrasing the Zabur 34:8 which says: “Oh taste and see that YAHWEH is gracious. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.” ↩︎
  3. 2:4 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
  4. 2:5 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
  5. 2:5 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean the Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them point ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH.  Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
  6. 2:6 Al-Kitab, is an Arabic-derived term for “the Scriptures.” It is related to the Aramaic ketab and Hebrew terms ketab, miktab, and ktb. The same meaning of “the Scriptures” is expressed in Greek by graphe. In this verse, Al-Kitab refers to the Hebrew scriptures, including the Taurat, the Zabur, and the writings of the Prophets. ↩︎
  7. 2:6 Al-Quds, meaning “the Holy (City).” The Greek text reads Zion, a name taken directly from Hebrew and a synonym for Jerusalem. Zion originally referred to Mount Zion, one of the hills of Jerusalem. ↩︎
  8. 2:6 Quoting the prophet Shaya 28:16 which says: Therefore thus says the Lord YAHWEH, “Behold, I lay in Al-Quds for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone of sure foundation: whoever believes will not be disappointed.” ↩︎
  9. 2:7 Quoting the Zabur 118:22 which says: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.” ↩︎
  10. 2:8 Quoting the Taurat, Shaya 8:13-14 which says: “But sanctify YAHWEH All-Powerful; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a trap and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” ↩︎
  11. 2:9 Adapted from the Taurat, Exodus 19:5-6 which says: “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to Bani-Israel.” ↩︎
  12. 2:22 Quoting the prophet Shaya 53:9 which says: “They made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” ↩︎
  13. 2:24 Citing the Taurat, Shaya 53:5 which says: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.” ↩︎
  14. 2:25 Citing the Taurat, Shaya 53:6 which says: All we like sheep have gone astray; everyone has turned to his own way; and YAHWEH has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ↩︎