< Romans 13 >
1 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.
Let every soul be subject to the higher authorities. For there is no authority except that which is from God; and the existing authorities have been ordained of God.
2 Therefore the man who rebels against his ruler is resisting God's will; and those who thus resist will bring punishment upon themselves.
So the one resisting the authority, antagonizes the ordinance of God: and those antagonizing shall receive to themselves judgment.
3 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.
For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Whether do you not wish to fear the authority? do the good, and you shall have praise from it:
4 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.
for he is the minister of God for you for good. But if you do evil, fear; for he bears not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, executing judgment unto wrath unto the one doing evil.
5 We must obey therefore, not only in order to escape punishment, but also for conscience' sake.
Therefore it is necessary to submit, not only on account of wrath, but also on account of conscience.
6 Why, this is really the reason you pay taxes; for tax-gatherers are ministers of God, devoting their energies to this very work.
For on account of this also pay tribute; for they are the ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
7 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.
Give to all their dues: custom to whom custom is due; tribute to whom tribute is due; fear to whom fear is due; honor to whom honor is due.
8 Owe nothing to any one except mutual love; for he who loves his fellow man has satisfied the demands of Law.
Owe no man anything, but to love one another with divine love: for the one loving another with divine love has fulfilled the law.
9 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."
For, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not covet, and if there is any other commandment, it is fulfilled in this word, in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself with divine love.
10 Love avoids doing any wrong to one's fellow man, and is therefore complete obedience to Law.
Divine love works no evil to its neighbor: for divine love is the fulfilling of the law.
11 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.
And recognizing this time, that it is already the hour we should wake out of sleep: for now our salvation is nearer than when we believed.
12 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.
For the night is far spent, and the day is at hand. Therefore let us lay aside the works of the darkness, and let us put on the arms of the light.
13 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.
Let us walk circumspectly, as in the day; not with revelries and drunkenness, not with debaucheries and impurities, not in strife and envy:
14 On the contrary, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for gratifying your earthly cravings.
but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the lust of the flesh.