Romans 13
1 Let everyone obey the supreme authorities. For no authority exists except by the will of God, and the existing authorities have been appointed by God.
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.
2 Therefore the one who sets themself against the authorities is resisting God’s appointment, and those who resist will bring a judgment on themselves.
Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
3 A good action has nothing to fear from rulers; a bad action has. Do you want to have no reason to fear the authorities? Then do what is good, and you will win their praise.
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.
4 For they are God’s servants appointed for your good. But, if you do what is wrong, you may well be afraid; for the sword they carry is not without meaning! They are God’s servants to inflict his punishments on those who do wrong.
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.
5 You are bound, therefore, to obey, not only through fear of God’s punishments, but also as a matter of conscience.
Therefore it is necessary to submit to authority, not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This, too, is the reason for your paying taxes; for the officials are God’s officers, devoting themselves to this special work.
This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work.
7 In all cases pay what is due from you – tribute where tribute is due, taxes where taxes are due, respect where respect is due, and honor where honor is due.
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.
8 Owe nothing to anyone except love; for they who love their neighbor have satisfied the Law.
Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
9 The commandments, ‘You must not commit adultery, you must not kill, you must not steal, you must not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there is, are all summed up in the words – ‘You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.’
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.”
10 Love never wrongs a neighbor. Therefore love fully satisfies the Law.
Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11 This I say, because you know the crisis that we have reached, for the time has already come for you to rouse yourselves from sleep; our salvation is nearer now than when we accepted the faith.
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.
12 The night is almost gone; the day is near. Therefore let us be done with the deeds of darkness, and arm ourselves with the weapons of light.
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.
13 Being in the light of day, let us live becomingly, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lust and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
14 No! Arm yourselves with the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, and spend no thought on your earthly nature, to satisfy its cravings.
Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
