Romans 13

1 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,

Let every individual be obedient to those who rule over him; for no one is a ruler except by God's permission, and our present rulers have had their rank and power assigned to them by Him.

2 so that he who is setting himself against the authority, has resisted against God’s ordinance; and those resisting will receive judgment to themselves.

Therefore the man who rebels against his ruler is resisting God's will; and those who thus resist will bring punishment upon themselves.

3 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,

For judges and magistrates are to be feared not by right-doers but by wrong-doers. You desire--do you not? --to have no reason to fear your ruler. Well, do the thing that is right, and then he will commend you.

4 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.

For he is God's servant for your benefit. But if you do what is wrong, be afraid. He does not wear the sword to no purpose: he is God's servant--an administrator to inflict punishment upon evil-doers.

5 For this reason it is necessary to be subject, not only because of the wrath, but also because of the conscience,

We must obey therefore, not only in order to escape punishment, but also for conscience' sake.

6 for because of this you also pay tribute; for they are servants of God, on this very thing attending continually;

Why, this is really the reason you pay taxes; for tax-gatherers are ministers of God, devoting their energies to this very work.

7 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.

Pay promptly to all men what is due to them: taxes to those to whom taxes are due, toll to those to whom toll is due, respect to those to whom respect is due, honour to those to whom honour is due.

8 To no one owe anything, except to love one another; for he who is loving the other—he has fulfilled law,

Owe nothing to any one except mutual love; for he who loves his fellow man has satisfied the demands of Law.

9 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”;

For the precepts, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," "Thou shalt do no murder," "Thou shalt not steal," "Thou shalt not covet," and all other precepts, are summed up in this one command, "Thou shalt love thy fellow man as much as thou lovest thyself."

10 the love to the neighbor works no ill; the love, therefore, [is] the fullness of law.

Love avoids doing any wrong to one's fellow man, and is therefore complete obedience to Law.

11 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;

Carry out these injunctions because you know the critical period at which we are living, and that it is now high time, to rouse yourselves from sleep; for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first became believers.

12 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;

The night is far advanced, and day is about to dawn. We must therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness, and clothe ourselves with the armour of Light.

13 as in daytime, let us walk properly; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in strife and jealousy;

Living as we do in broad daylight, let us conduct ourselves becomingly, not indulging in revelry and drunkenness, nor in lust and debauchery, nor in quarrelling and jealousy.

14 but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and take no forethought for the flesh—for desires.

On the contrary, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for gratifying your earthly cravings.