Chosen and precious

The living Stone and a chosen people

4As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him – 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For in Scripture it says:

‘See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a chosen and precious cornerstone,

and the one who trusts in him

will never be put to shame.’

7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,’

8and,

‘A stone that causes people to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall.’

They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for.

9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.