journing
in fear; (18)knowing that not with perishable things, silver and gold,
ye were redeemed from your vain course of life received by tradition
from your fathers, (19)but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a
lamb without blemish and without spot; (20)who was foreknown indeed
before the foundation of the world, but manifested in these last times
for you, (21)who through him believe on God, who raised him from the
dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope are on God.

(22)Having purified your souls in obeying the truth unto unfeigned
brotherly love, love one another from the heart fervently; (23)being
born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the
word of God, which lives and abides forever. (24)Because,

All flesh is as grass,
And all its glory as the flower of grass.
The grass withered, and its flower fell off;
(25)But the word of the Lord abides forever.

And this is the word which was preached to you.

II.

LAYING aside therefore all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and
envyings, and all backbitings, (2)as newborn babes, long for the
spiritual, unadulterated milk, that ye thereby may grow unto
salvation; (3)if indeed ye tasted that the Lord is gracious; (4)to
whom coming, a living stone, disallowed indeed by men, but with God
chosen, honored, (5)ye yourselves also, as living stones, are built
up[2:5] a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (6)Because it is
contained in the Scripture: Behold, I lay in Zion a chief
corner-stone, chosen, honored; and he that believes on him shall not
be put to shame.

(7)To you therefore who believe is the honor; but to the disobedient,
the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is become the head
of the corner, (8)and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, who
stumble, being disobedient to the word; to which they were also
appointed.

(9)But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for a possession; that ye should show forth the excellencies
of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;
(10)who once were not a people, but are now the people of God; who had
not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

(11)Beloved, I exhort you as sojourners and strangers, to abstain from
fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; (12)having your deportment
honorable among the Gentiles;