⁴ Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and ⁵ like living stones let yourselves be built^[a] into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it stands in scripture:

“See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

⁷ This honor, then, is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,^[b]

“The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the very head of the corner,”

⁸ and

“A stone that makes them stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people,^[c] in order that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.¹⁰ Once you were not a people,

    but now you are God’s people;

once you had not received mercy,

    but now you have received mercy.