1 PET 2:5 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT and you yourselves, like living stones, are being built up to be a spiritual house, for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

UST And you are like stones that are alive. Like men build houses with stones, God is joining you together like a building in which his Spirit dwells. He is also making you be like priests whom he has set apart in order to do spiritual acts, pleasing to God, by means of Jesus the Messiah.

BSB you 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.

MSB you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house,[fn] a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

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

AICNT and you, as living stones, are being built up [into][fn] a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

2:5, into: Absent from some manuscripts. BYZ TR

OEB and, as living stones, form yourselves into a spiritual house, to be a consecrated priesthood, for the offering of spiritual sacrifices that will be acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

WEBBE You also as living stones are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

WMBB You also as living stones are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Yeshua the Messiah.

NET you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

LSV and you yourselves are built up as living stones [into] a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

FBV you also become like living stones, being built into a spiritual house. You are a holy priesthood that offers spiritual sacrifices that God welcomes through Jesus Christ.

TCNT you yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual [fn]house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

2:5 house, ¦ house, to be CT

T4T And like men build houses with stones [MET], God is causing you to be joined together into a group in which God’s Spirit lives, in order that you, because of what Jesus Christ did for us, might, like priests who offer sacrifices, do things that are pleasing to God.

LEB And you yourselves, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

BBE You, as living stones, are being made into a house of the spirit, a holy order of priests, making those offerings of the spirit which are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

Moff come and, like living stones yourselves, be built into a spiritual house, to form a consecrated priesthood for the offering of those spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Wymth And be yourselves also like living stones that are being built up into a spiritual house, to become a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

ASV ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

DRA Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

YLT and ye yourselves, as living stones, are built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Drby yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to [fn]God by Jesus Christ.

2.5 Elohim

RV ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
(ye/you_all also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. )

SLT And ye yourselves are built, as living stones, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to bring up spiritual sacrifice; acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Wbstr Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

KJB-1769 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
(Ye/You_all also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. )

KJB-1611 Ye also as liuely stones, [fn]are built vp a spirituall house, an holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifice, acceptable to God by Iesus Christ.
(Ye/You_all also as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice, acceptable to God by Yesus/Yeshua Christ.)

2:5 Or, be ye built.

Bshps And ye as lyuely stones, be you made a spirituall house, an holy priesthood, for to offer vp spirituall sacrifices, acceptable to God by Iesus Christe.
(And ye/you_all as lyuely stones, be you made a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, for to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Yesus/Yeshua Christ.)

Gnva Yee also as liuely stones, bee made a spirituall house, an holy Priesthoode to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ.
(Ye/You_all also as lively stones, be made a spiritual house, an holy Priesthoode to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Yesus/Yeshua Christ. )

Cvdl And ye also as lyuynge stones are made a spirituall house, and an holy presthode, to offre vp spirituall sacrifices, acceptable vnto God by Iesus Christ.
(And ye/you_all also as living stones are made a spiritual house, and an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable unto God by Yesus/Yeshua Christ.)

TNT and ye as lyvynge stones are made a spretuall housse and an holy presthode for to offer vp spretuall sacryfice acceptable to god by Iesus Christ.
(and ye/you_all as lyving stones are made a spretuall house and an holy priesthood for to offer up spretuall sacryfice acceptable to god by Yesus/Yeshua Christ. )

Wycl and ye silf as quyk stoonys be ye aboue bildid in to spiritual housis, and an hooli preesthod, to offre spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God bi Jhesu Crist.
(and ye/you_all self as quick/living stones be ye/you_all above built in to spiritual houses, and an holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Yhesu Christ.)

Luth Und auch ihr, als die lebendigen Steine, bauet euch zum geistlichen Hause und zum heiligen Priestertum, zu opfern geistliche Opfer, die GOtt angenehm sind durch JEsum Christum.
(And also you(pl)/their/her, as the living/alive stones, builds you for_the clergy house and for_the holy priesthood, to/for sacrifice(v) spirituale victim/prey, the God pleasant are through Yesum Christum.)

ClVg et ipsi tamquam lapides vivi superædificamini, domus spiritualis, sacerdotium sanctum, offerre spirituales hostias, acceptabiles Deo per Jesum Christum.[fn]
(and themselves as_if stones alive superædificamini, home spiritual, priesthood holy, to_offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptables to_God through Yesus Christ/Messiah. )

2.5 Tanquam lapides viri. Per infidelitatem quidem duri et insensibiles, sed per discretionem eruditi vivificantur et apti sunt, ut in Dei ædificio charitate compingantur. Ædificamini. Ad offerendum bona opera, eleemosynas, preces et vos ipsos. Per Jesum Christum. Hoc ad omnia refertur, ædificamini, sacerdotes estis, offertis, et hoc totum, per Jesum Christum, cujus gratia omnia habetis.

2.5 Tanquam stones men. Per infidelitatem indeed duri and insensibiles, but through discretion instructsi aliveficantur and apti are, as in/into/on of_God ædificio with_love compingantur. Ædificamini. To offerendum good(s) works, eleemosynas, prayers and you(pl) themselves. Per Yesus Christ/Messiah. This to everything it_is_reported, buildmini, priests you_are, offersis, and this whole, through Yesus Christ/Messiah, whose grace everything you(pl)_have.

UGNT καὶ αὐτοὶ ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε, οἶκος πνευματικὸς, εἰς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικὰς θυσίας εὐπροσδέκτους Θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
(kai autoi hōs lithoi zōntes oikodomeisthe, oikos pneumatikos, eis hierateuma hagion anenegkai pneumatikas thusias euprosdektous Theōi dia Yaʸsou Ⱪristou.)

SBL-GNT καὶ αὐτοὶ ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε οἶκος πνευματικὸς ⸀εἰς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον, ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικὰς θυσίας ⸀εὐπροσδέκτους θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ·
(kai autoi hōs lithoi zōntes oikodomeisthe oikos pneumatikos ⸀eis hierateuma hagion, anenegkai pneumatikas thusias ⸀euprosdektous theōi dia Yaʸsou Ⱪristou;)

RP-GNT καὶ αὐτοὶ ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε οἶκος πνευματικός, ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον, ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικὰς θυσίας εὐπροσδέκτους τῷ θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ χριστοῦ.
(kai autoi hōs lithoi zōntes oikodomeisthe oikos pneumatikos, hierateuma hagion, anenegkai pneumatikas thusias euprosdektous tōi theōi dia Yaʸsou ⱪristou.)

TC-GNT καὶ αὐτοὶ ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε οἶκος πνευματικός, [fn]ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον, ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικὰς θυσίας εὐπροσδέκτους [fn]τῷ Θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
(kai autoi hōs lithoi zōntes oikodomeisthe oikos pneumatikos, hierateuma hagion, anenegkai pneumatikas thusias euprosdektous tōi Theōi dia Yaʸsou Ⱪristou. )

2:5 ιερατευμα ¦ εις ιερατευμα CT

2:5 τω ¦ — ECM NA²⁸ SBL TH WH

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:1–12: Christ is the cornerstone and believers are his holy people

In this section Peter used illustrations from the Old Testament to describe how important Christ was and how holy Christians should be. Christ was like the most important stone in a building. Christians belong to him and so should live holy lives.

Some other headings for this section are:

Live as God’s Chosen People (GW)

A Living Stone and a Holy People (CEV)

Paragraph 2:4–8

In this paragraph, Peter used a metaphor that compared Jesus Christ to a stone. He quoted three passages from the Old Testament that also used the metaphor of a stone to speak about the Christ whom God had promised to send:

In 2:6 Peter quoted from Isaiah 28:16.
In 2:7 Peter quoted from Psalm 118:22.
In 2:8 Peter quoted from Isaiah 8:14.

2:5a

you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house

You, also, are like living stones, and you are being built into a spiritual house
You too are like living/spiritual stones that God uses to build into a spiritual house.
Like Jesus Christ, you are stones that are alive. Like a house builder, God makes from you a house for himself,

you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house: There are several ways of understanding this verse part:

This is a statement about something that was happening as the believers came to Jesus Christ. The believers were being built into a spiritual house. For example:
you yourselves as living stones are built up as a spiritual house (NET) (BSB, CEV, KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT, GW, NET)
This is a command to the believers to be built into a spiritual house. For example:
like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house (NRSV) (NCV, REB, NRSV, GNT)
This is a purpose clause. Peter wanted his readers to come to Christ so that they might be built into a spiritual house. For example:
so that you…may be built into a spiritual house (NJB) (NJB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), which has the support of most English versions and commentators.

you…are being built: This is a passive clause. The one who is doing the building is God. In some languages it may be necessary to translate this using an active verb and make the subject explicit:

God is building you

you: The Greek word that the BSB translates as you is emphasized and may also be translated as:

you yourselves (NET)

like living stones: The Greek word that the BSB translates as like introduces the role that the believers fill as God is building them into a spiritual temple, the role of living stones. Some other ways to translate this metaphor include:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
you are living stones (CEV)
Translate the metaphor as a simile. For example:
You also are like living stones (NCV)

living stones: Peter said these Christians were living because God had caused them to be born again through his word (1:23) and given them new life through Jesus Christ rising from death (1:3).

stones: Peter described the believers as stones because in that part of the world, people built houses out of stones. Christians were like stones in the sense that God was using them to build a house for himself.

spiritual: In this context the Greek word that the BSB translates as spiritual means “non-material” or “not physical.” It refers to something that cannot be seen by human eyes, something that is in the realm of the divine rather than the human.

house: There are two ways of interpreting the Greek word that the BSB translates as house here:

It means house, a building where people live. For example:
And now you are living stones that are being used to build a spiritual house. (CEV) (BSB, CEV, GW, KJV, NASB, NET, NIV, NJB, RSV)
It means temple, a building where people worship God. For example:
And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. (NLT) (NCV, NLT, REB, GNT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). In this context, house is a metaphor. It illustrates the spiritual truth that God dwells among his people. People who believe in Jesus Christ together form God’s house, the church, and God lives in their midst.

If the metaphor of a house is not understandable to your readers, then you may need to translate it as a simile:

You are like a…house

General Comment on 2:5a

In some languages it may be necessary to make some of the meaning of this metaphor explicit, For example:

Just as a builder makes houses out of stones, so God is building a spiritual house out of you living stones.

2:5b

to be a holy priesthood,

to be a priesthood dedicated to God
God also dedicates you to be his group of priests,

to be a holy priesthood: Here Peter used another metaphor to describe the Christian church.

to be: The Greek preposition that the BSB translates as to be is literally “unto.” In this context it communicates that:

The spiritual house in 2:5a is what forms the holy priesthood. These are two metaphors describing the Christian church, made up of all believers.
The spiritual house in 2:5a is for the purpose of the holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices to God (2:5c).

Some other ways this has been translated include:

and form a holy priesthood (REB)

as a holy priesthood (NJB)

for a holy priesthood

You are also a group of holy priests (CEV)

holy priesthood: The Greek word that the BSB translates as priesthood occurs only twice in the New Testament, both in this chapter (2:5, 2:9). It refers to God’s people as a whole. God made the believers as a group into an order of holy priests. Priests are people who approach God to worship him and offer sacrifices.

In your translation, try to make it clear that Peter was referring to the believers as a group, not as individuals. For example:

a group of holy priests (CEV)

holy: In this context, the Greek word that the BSB translates as holy refers to someone who is set apart to serve God. God has set the members of this priesthood apart to serve him. He has dedicated them to himself. Some other examples for translating are:

dedicated to God

fully serving God

2:5c

offering spiritual sacrifices

and to offer spiritual sacrifices of thanks and praise to God
in order for you to offer him spiritual sacrifices of worship.

offering spiritual sacrifices: The priesthood of believers that Peter wrote about is similar to the Hebrew Old Testament priesthood in that both presented offerings to God.

spiritual: As in 2:5a, the Greek word that the BSB translates as spiritual means “non-material.” Peter’s readers were not offering animals as sacrifices. They were offering sacrifices that could not be seen.

sacrifices: In this context, the word sacrifices is a metaphor. Peter was not really talking about animal sacrifices such as the Hebrew priests offered to God during the Old Testament period.A word of caution: Substituting “gifts” for “sacrifices” might result in inadvertent confusion with “spiritual gifts.” If a language has a word such as “offerings” and it would be unambiguous that the giving is from man to God, that would probably be preferable to using a word that functions as “gifts” does in English. Instead, he was referring to giving praises to God and help to those in need. See also Romans 12:1 and Hebrews 13:15–16.

General Comment on 2:5b–c

2:5b–c gives the purpose for which God builds the believers into a spiritual house. English translations mark this purpose in three different places:

Before the mention of the holy priesthood. For example, the BSB says:
to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices (BSB)
Before the mention of the spiritual sacrifices. For example, the NJB says:
as a holy priesthood to offer the spiritual sacrifices (NJB)
At both places. For example, the RSV says:
to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices (RSV)

In your translation, mark the purpose at the place where it is most natural in your language.

2:5d

acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

that God accepts through Jesus Christ.
These sacrifices please God because of what Jesus Christ has done.

acceptable to God: The phrase acceptable to God means that God was pleased with the spiritual sacrifices that the believers offered to him. Other ways to say this include:

God accepts your sacrifices

These sacrifices please God

through Jesus Christ: There are two ways of understanding the relationship of the phrase through Jesus Christ to the rest of 2:5c:

Through Jesus Christ, the spiritual offerings were acceptable to God. God was pleased to receive these offerings because of what Jesus Christ had done. For example:
to offer the spiritual sacrifices made acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (NJB) (BSB, NIV, KJV, NASB, RSV, REB, NET, GW, NLT, NCV, NJB)
The believers offered spiritual sacrifices through Jesus Christ. For example:
with the help of Jesus Christ you will offer sacrifices that please God (CEV) (GNT, CEV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and the majority of English versions.

General Comment on 2:4–5

In the BSB, as in the Greek, 2:4–5 forms one long sentence. In many languages it may be natural to use several shorter sentences. For example:

You are coming to Jesus Christ, the living stone. He is the one whom people rejected but God considers valuable and chose. You are also living stones, and God is building you into a spiritual house. As a holy priesthood you offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

αὐτοὶ ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε, οἶκος πνευματικὸς

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί αὐτοί ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε οἶκος πνευματικός εἰς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικάς θυσίας εὐπροσδέκτους Θεῷ διά Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ)

Peter uses stones to refer to his readers, people who believe in Jesus. Just as people in the Old Testament used stones to build the temple that God dwelled in, God is using believers to bring together a group of people in whom he will dwell. If this might confuse your readers, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [you, like stones that are put together and built into a house, are living stones that are being brought together into a spiritual community in which God dwells]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

αὐτοὶ ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες

Peters uses stones as if they were living. This emphasizes the fact that Peter’s readers have eternal life because they believe in Jesus. In this verse, living cannot mean to give life, because only God can give life. Alternate translation: [like stones that live]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

οἰκοδομεῖσθε, οἶκος πνευματικὸς

˱you_all˲_˓are_being˒_built ˓a˒_house (Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί αὐτοί ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε οἶκος πνευματικός εἰς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικάς θυσίας εὐπροσδέκτους Θεῷ διά Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ)

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [you … that God is building up as a spiritual house]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

οἰκοδομεῖσθε

˱you_all˲_˓are_being˒_built

Here, are being built up could indicate: (1) a factual statement, as in the UST. (2) a command, in which case “coming to him” in the previous verse would also be a command. Alternate translation: [you … be built up]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

εἰς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικὰς θυσίας

into ˓a˒_priesthood holy ˓to˒_offer_up (Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί αὐτοί ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε οἶκος πνευματικός εἰς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικάς θυσίας εὐπροσδέκτους Θεῷ διά Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ)

Here Peter speaks of believers as if they were part of a priesthood and as if their good deeds and acts of worship were sacrifices offered to God. Just as the priests in the Old Testament offered sacrifices to God, so should believers do good deeds and worship God. If this might confuse your readers, you could express the meaning plainly or with a synonym. Alternate translation: [like the holy priesthood that offered sacrifices to God, so you are made into a group which does good spiritual deeds]

Note 6 topic: grammar-collectivenouns

εἰς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον

into ˓a˒_priesthood holy

The word priesthood is a singular noun that refers to a group of priests. If your language does not use singular nouns in that way, you can use a different expression. Alternate translation: [a group of holy priests]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

πνευματικὰς θυσίας εὐπροσδέκτους

This could mean: (1) the sacrifices are of a spiritual, rather than physical, nature. Alternate translation: [the sacrifices of a spiritual nature that are acceptable] (2) the sacrifices are offered by the power of the Holy Spirit. Alternate translation: [the sacrifices offered by the power of the Holy Spirit, which are acceptable]

Parallel 1 PET 2:5