1 Therefore, ^alaying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,  ‡

2 ^aas newborn babes, desire the pure ^bmilk of the word, that you may grow¹ thereby,  ‡

3 if indeed you have ^atasted that the Lord is gracious.  ‡

4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, ^arejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,  ‡

5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,
^a“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”  ‡