Romans 13
1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.
Let everyone put himself under the authority of the higher powers, because there is no power which is not of God, and all powers are ordered by God.
2 Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
For which reason everyone who puts himself against the authority puts himself against the order of God: and those who are against it will get punishment for themselves.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval.
For rulers are not a cause of fear to the good work but to the evil. If you would have no fear of the authority, do good and you will have praise;
4 For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.
For he is the servant of God to you for good. But if you do evil, have fear; for the sword is not in his hand for nothing: he is God's servant, making God's punishment come on the evil-doer.
5 Therefore it is necessary to submit to authority, not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.
So put yourselves under the authority, not for fear of wrath, but because you have the knowledge of what is right.
6 This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work.
For the same reason, make payment of taxes; because the authority is God's servant, to take care of such things at all times.
7 Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
Give to all what is their right: taxes to him whose they are, payment to him whose right it is, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour is to be given.
8 Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
Be in debt for nothing, but to have love for one another: for he who has love for his neighbour has kept all the law.
9 The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
And this, Do not be untrue in married life, Do not put to death, Do not take what is another's, Do not have desire for what is another's, and if there is any other order, it is covered by this word, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself.
10 Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Love does no wrong to his neighbour, so love makes the law complete.
11 And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
See then that the time has come for you to be awake from sleep: for now is your salvation nearer than when you first had faith.
12 The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
The night is far gone, and the day is near: so let us put off the works of the dark, arming ourselves with light,
13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
With right behaviour as in the day; not in pleasure-making and drinking, not in bad company and unclean behaviour, not in fighting and envy.
14 Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not give thought to the flesh to do its desires.
