Why not? Because they pursued ¹  it not by faith but (as if it were possible) by works. ²  They stumbled over the stumbling stone, ³ 

If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, ¹ 

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

and a stumbling-stone ¹  and a rock to trip over. ²  They stumble ³  because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. ⁴ 

And the one seated on it was like jasper ¹  and carnelian ²  in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald ³  encircled the throne.

The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” ¹ 

and placed it ¹  in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. ²  Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance ³  of the tomb and went away.

Suddenly there was a severe earthquake, for an angel of the Lord ¹  descending from heaven came and rolled away the stone and sat on it.

Each night and every day among the tombs and in the mountains, he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

Now ¹  as Jesus ²  was going out of the temple courts, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look at these tremendous stones and buildings!” ³ 

The devil said to him, “If ¹  you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” ² 

It would be better for him to have a millstone ¹  tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea ²  than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. ³ 

When they persisted in asking him, he stood up straight ¹  and replied, ²  “Whoever among you is guiltless ³  may be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Jesus, intensely moved ¹  again, came to the tomb. (Now it was a cave, and a stone was placed across it.) ² 

Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” ¹  Martha, the sister of the deceased, ²  replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, ³  because he has been buried ⁴  four days.” ⁵ 

So they took away ¹  the stone. Jesus looked upward ²  and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. ³ 

So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity ¹  is like gold or silver or stone, an image ²  made by human ³  skill ⁴  and imagination. ⁵ 

just as it is written, “Look, I am laying in Zion a stone that will cause people to stumble and a rock that will make them fall, ¹  yet the one who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ² 

you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer ¹  spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

For it says ¹  in scripture, “Look, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and priceless cornerstone, ²  and whoever believes ³  in him ⁴  will never ⁵  be put to shame.” ⁶