Romatɔwo 13
1 Miɖo to dziɖuɖu la, elabena Mawue nye ame si ɖo dziɖuɖu la anyi. Dziɖuɖu aɖeke mele afi aɖeke si Mawu ŋutɔ metsɔ ŋusẽ na o.
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 Eya ta ame sia ame si gbe dukɔa ƒe sewo dzi wɔwɔ la gbe Mawu ƒe sewo dzi wɔwɔ, eye tohehe adze nu sia yome.
Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
3 Elabena kpovitɔ medoa ŋɔdzi na ame siwo le nu nyui wɔm la o, ke ame siwo le nu vɔ̃ wɔm la, woavɔ̃ kpovitɔ ɣe sia ɣi. Eya ta ne mèdi be yeanɔ vɔvɔ̃m o la, wɔ seawo dzi kpoo, ekema eme anyo na wò.
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 Mawu ƒe subɔlae nye kpovitɔ la ɖa ɖe wò nyonyo ta. Ke ne èle nu vɔ̃ aɖe wɔm la, eme kɔ ƒãa be ànɔ vɔvɔ̃m, elabena kpovitɔ la ana woahe to na wò nu gbegblẽ wɔla la.
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 Eya ta miwɔ seawo dzi le nu eve siawo ta: gbã, be miagaxɔ tohehe o; evelia, elabena mienya xoxo tso miaƒe dzi me be ele be yewoawɔ seawo dzi.
Therefore it is necessary to submit to authority, not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.
6 Midzɔ miaƒe dugawo hã le nu eve siawo ke ta, elabena ele be woaxe fe na dziɖuɖudɔwɔlawo, ale be woate ŋu anɔ Mawu ƒe dɔ la wɔm, anɔ kpekpem ɖe mia ŋu.
This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work.
7 Mixe fe na ame sia ame abe ale si wòdzee ene. Mixe miaƒe dugawo kple adzɔwo dzidzɔtɔe. Miɖo to miaƒe tatɔwo, eye mitsɔ bubu na ame sia ame si dze bubu la.
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 Migana naneke ƒe fe natsi mia ŋu o, negbe ame bubuwo lɔlɔ̃ ƒe fe ko. Migaxe ame bubuwo lɔlɔ̃ ƒe fe sia vɔ gbeɖe o! Elabena ne mielɔ̃ wo la, miawɔ Mawu ƒe seawo katã dzi, eye miawɔ nu sia nu si Mawu bia tso mia si la.
Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
9 Ke nya si woŋlɔ ɖi bena: “Mègawɔ ahasi o,” “Mègawu ame o,” “Mègafi fi o,” “Mègabiã ŋu o,” eye ne se bubu aɖe gali si ƒo esiawo ta la, ekema eyae nye: “Lɔ̃ hawòvi abe ɖokuiwò ene.”
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 Lɔlɔ̃ nana womedaa vo ɖe amehavi ŋu o. Eya ta lɔlɔ̃ na ame havie nye sedziwɔwɔ.
Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11 Nu bubu si ta wòle be mianɔ agbe nyuie lae nye be: mienya be ɣeyiɣi boo megali o. Minyɔ, elabena xɔxɔ tu aƒe fifia wu ale si míexɔe se tsã.
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 Zã la va yi vɔ, ŋu le kekem azɔ! Eya ta mina míaɖe asi le vivitimenuwɔwɔwo ŋu, eye míado kekeli ƒe akpoxɔnuwo.
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 Mina míawɔ nu dzeame, abe ale si nyo le ŋkeke me ene; menye le aglotutu kple ahamumu, ahasiwɔwɔ kple hadzedze, alo le dzrewɔwɔ kple ŋuʋaʋã me o.
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 Ke boŋ mibia Aƒetɔ Yesu Kristo be wòakpe ɖe mia ŋu, be mianɔ agbe abe ale si dze ene. Migakpɔ dzidzɔ le nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ ŋu o.
Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
