Romanos 13
1 Sométase toda persona a las autoridades que gobiernan, porque no hay autoridad sino de Dios. Las que existen son establecidas por Dios.
Every [believer] must be subject to the authorities. [Remember that] God is the only one [who gives officials their] authority. Furthermore, those officials that exist are ones who have been appointed by God {God has appointed}.
2 Por esta razón el que se opone a la autoridad resiste a la ordenanza de Dios, y los que resisten serán sometidos a juicio.
So whoever resists the officials is resisting what God has established. Furthermore, those who resist officials will bring on themselves [from the officials] the punishment [that God considers fitting].
3 Porque los gobernantes no son un motivo de temor para el que hace el bien, sino el mal. ¿Quieres no temer a la autoridad? Haz lo bueno, y tendrás su aprobación.
What rulers [do] is not [to cause people who] do good deeds to be afraid. Instead, [what they do is to cause people who do] evil to be afraid. So, if any of you [RHQ] wants to be unafraid of officials, do what is good! [If you(sg) do good], they will commend you [instead of punishing you!]
4 Porque es un servidor de Dios para tu bien. Pero si haces lo malo, teme. No en vano lleva la espada, ya que es servidor de Dios que aplica el castigo al que practica lo malo.
It is in order to serve God [by doing their work that every official exists], in order that they may benefit each of you. If any of you does what is evil, you [(sg) will rightfully have reason to] be afraid, because the authority that they have to punish people [MTY] is very real [LIT]! The officials exist to serve God. That is, they act as God’s agents as they punish those who do evil.
5 Por tanto es necesario que nos sometamos, no solo por causa del castigo, sino también por causa de la conciencia.
So, it is necessary for you [(pl)] to be subject [to officials], not only because they will punish you [MTY] [if you disobey them], but also because you know [that you should be subject to them]
6 También por esto ustedes pagan impuestos, porque [se utilizan para sostener a] estos servidores de Dios que se dedican a este oficio.
It is for this reason that you also pay taxes, because the officials are ones who serve God as they continually do their work.
7 Paguen a todos lo que les deben: al que [deban] tributo, tributo; al que impuesto, impuesto; al que respeto, respeto; al que honra, honra.
Give to all [the officials] what you are supposed to give to them! Pay taxes to [those who require that you pay taxes]. Pay duties [on goods to those who require that you pay those] duties. Respect [those who ought to] be respected. Honor [those who ought to] be honored.
8 A nadie deban nada, sino el amarse los unos a los otros. Porque el que ama al prójimo, cumple [la] Ley.
Pay all of your debts [when you are supposed to pay them]. The only thing [that is like] a debt that [you] should never stop paying is to love one another. Whoever loves others has fulfilled all that [God requires in] his laws.
9 Porque: No adulterarás, no asesinarás, no robarás, no codiciarás, y cualquier otro Mandamiento se resume en esto: Amarás a tu prójimo como a ti mismo.
[There are many things that God] commanded [in his laws, such as] do not commit adultery, do not murder [anyone], do not steal, and do not desire anything that belongs to someone else. But the command by which they are all summed up {that includes them all} is this: Each of you must love the people with whom you come in contact, just like you [(sg)] love yourself.
10 El que ama no hace mal al prójimo. Así que el que ama cumple [la] Ley.
If you love people with whom you come in contact [PRS], you will not do any evil to them [LIT]. So, whoever loves [others] fulfills all that [God’s] laws [require].
11 [Hagan] esto pues conocen el tiempo. Es hora de despertar del sueño, porque ahora la salvación está más cerca de nosotros que cuando creímos.
[Do] what I have just told you, especially since you know [the significance of] the time [in which we are living. You know that it is] time for you to be [fully alert and active] [MET], [like people who have] awakened from sleeping [MET], because [the time when Christ will finally] deliver us [from this world’s pain/sin and sorrow] is near. That time (is closer than/was not so close) when we first believed [in Christ].
12 La noche pasó y llegó el día. [Es tiempo de ]que nos despojemos de las obras de la oscuridad, de que tomemos las armas de la luz,
[Our time to live in this world] [MTY] [is almost ended] [MET], [like] a night that is nearly ended. The time [when Christ will return] [MTY] is near. So we must quit doing wicked deeds [MET] [such as people do] in the darkness, and [we must be doing the things that will help us resist Satan/evil] [MET], [as soldiers who] put on their armor in the daytime [get ready to resist their enemies].
13 de que vivamos decentemente, como de día, no en orgías y borracheras, ni en pecados sexuales y sensualidades, ni en contienda y envidia.
We must behave properly, as though the time [when Christ will return] [MTY] [were already here]. We must not participate in drunken carousing [HEN]. We must not commit any kind of sexual immorality [MTY, DOU]. We must not quarrel. We must not be jealous [of other people].
14 Más bien, vístanse del Señor Jesucristo. No hagan provisión para los deseos apasionados de la naturaleza humana.
On the contrary, you/we should [be like] the Lord Jesus Christ [so that others will see that we belong to him], just as [people] put on [special clothes so that others will see what group they belong to] [MET]. You/We should stop thinking about [doing the things that your/our] self-directed nature desires.
