< Romans 13 >

1 Let every soul be subject to the authorities of magistracy. For there is no authority which is not from God: and the authorities which exist, are established 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 He therefore who opposeth the authority, opposeth the establishment of God; and they who oppose them, shall receive judgment.
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 judges are not a terror to good deeds, but to evil deeds. Wouldst thou then not be afraid of the authority? Do good, and thou shalt 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 he is the minister of God; but it is to thee for good. But if thou doest evil, be afraid; for he is not girded with the sword in vain; for he is a minister of God, and an avenger of wrath to them that do evil things.
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 And therefore, it is necessary for us to be obedient, not only on account of wrath, but likewise on account of our consciences.
We must obey therefore, not only in order to escape punishment, but also for conscience' sake.
6 For this cause also ye pay tribute money; for they are the ministers of God, established for these same objects.
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 every one, as is due to him; tribute-money, to whom tribute-money; and excise, to whom excise; and fear, to whom fear; and honor, to whom 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 And owe nothing to any one; but to love one another. For he that loveth his neighbor, hath fulfilled the law.
Owe nothing to any one except mutual love; for he who loves his fellow man has satisfied the demands of Law.
9 For this likewise, which it saith: Thou shalt not kill; nor commit adultery; nor steal; nor covet; and if there is any other commandment, it is completed in this sentence: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
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 Love doeth no evil to one's neighbor; because love is the fulfillment of the law.
Love avoids doing any wrong to one's fellow man, and is therefore complete obedience to Law.
11 And this also know ye, that it is the time and the hour, that we should henceforth be awake from our sleep. For now our life hath come nearer to us, 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 now passeth away, and the day draweth near. Let us therefore cast from us the works of darkness; and let us put on the armor of 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 And let us walk decorously, as in daylight; not in merriment, nor in drunkenness, nor in impurity of the bed, nor in envy and strife.
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 clothe yourselves with our Lord Jesus Messiah: and be not thoughtful about your flesh, for the indulgence of appetites.
On the contrary, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for gratifying your earthly cravings.

< Romans 13 >