Give a shepherd’s care to ¹  God’s flock among you, exercising oversight ²  not merely as a duty ³  but willingly under God’s direction, ⁴  not for shameful profit but eagerly.

Live ¹  as free people, not using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but as God’s slaves. ² 

For this finds God’s favor, ¹  if because of conscience toward God ²  someone endures hardships in suffering unjustly.

who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

So as you come to him, ¹  a living stone rejected by men but ²  chosen and priceless ³  in God’s sight,

You ¹  once were not a people, but now you are God’s people. You were shown no mercy, ²  but now you have received mercy.

but the inner person ¹  of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.

Now it was for this very purpose ¹  that the gospel was preached to those who are now dead, ²  so that though ³  they were judged in the flesh ⁴  by human standards ⁵  they may live spiritually ⁶  by God’s standards. ⁷ 

Whoever speaks, let it be with ¹  God’s words. ²  Whoever serves, do so with the strength ³  that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong ⁴  the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.