And like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. | Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may advance on the path to salvation. |
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. | But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people claimed by God as his own possession,” so that you may proclaim the praise of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. |
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Act as free people, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bond-servants of God. | As servants of God, behave as free people, but do not use your freedom as a means to cover up wrongdoing. |
For you have been called for this purpose, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you would follow in His steps. | This, in fact, is what you have been called to do, because Christ himself suffered for you and left an example for you to follow in his footsteps. |
And He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed. | He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live in righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. |