< Romans 13 >
1 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.
Let every soul be subject to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities existing are appointed by God,
2 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.
so that he who is setting himself against the authority, has resisted against God’s ordinance; and those resisting will receive judgment to themselves.
3 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;
For those ruling are not a terror to the good works, but to the evil; and do you wish to not be afraid of the authority? Be doing that which is good, and you will have praise from it,
4 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.
for it is a servant of God to you for good; and if you may do that which is evil, be fearing, for it does not bear the sword in vain; for it is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who is doing that which is evil.
5 So put yourselves under the authority, not for fear of wrath, but because you have the knowledge of what is right.
For this reason it is necessary to be subject, not only because of the wrath, but also because of the conscience,
6 For the same reason, make payment of taxes; because the authority is God's servant, to take care of such things at all times.
for because of this you also pay tribute; for they are servants of God, on this very thing attending continually;
7 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.
render, therefore, to all [their] dues; to whom tribute, the tribute; to whom custom, the custom; to whom fear, the fear; to whom honor, the honor.
8 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.
To no one owe anything, except to love one another; for he who is loving the other—he has fulfilled law,
9 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.
for, “You will not commit adultery, You will not murder, You will not steal, You will not bear false testimony, You will not covet”; and if there is any other command, in this word it is summed up, in this: “You will love your neighbor as yourself”;
10 Love does no wrong to his neighbour, so love makes the law complete.
the love to the neighbor works no ill; the love, therefore, [is] the fullness of law.
11 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.
And this, knowing the time, that for us, the hour already [is] to be aroused out of sleep, for now our salvation [is] nearer than when we believed;
12 The night is far gone, and the day is near: so let us put off the works of the dark, arming ourselves with light,
the night advanced, and the day came near; let us lay aside, therefore, the works of the darkness, and let us put on the armor of the light;
13 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.
as in daytime, let us walk properly; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in strife and jealousy;
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not give thought to the flesh to do its desires.
but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and take no forethought for the flesh—for desires.