2:4 So as you come to him, ¹  a living stone rejected by men but ²  chosen and priceless ³  in God’s sight, 2:5 you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer ⁴  spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 2:6 For it says ⁵  in scripture, “Look,I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and priceless cornerstone, ⁶  and whoever believes ⁷  in him ⁸  will never ⁹  be put to shame.” ¹⁰  2:7 So you who believe see ¹¹  his value, ¹²  but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the ¹³  cornerstone, ¹⁴  2:8 and a stumbling-stone ¹⁵  and a rock to trip over. ¹⁶  They stumble ¹⁷  because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. ¹⁸  2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues ¹⁹  of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 2:10 You ²⁰  once were not a people, but now you are God’s people. You were shown no mercy, ²¹  but now you have received mercy.