Romanos 13
1 Toda alma sea sujeta a las potestades superiores; porque no hay potestad sino de Dios: las potestades que son, de Dios son ordenadas.
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 Así que el que se opone a la potestad, al orden de Dios resiste; y los que resisten, ellos mismos recibirán condenación para sí.
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 magistrados no son para temor de las buenas obras, sino de las malas. ¿Quieres pues no temer la potestad? Haz lo bueno, y tendrás alabanza de ella;
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 te es el ministro de Dios para bien. Mas si hicieres lo malo, teme; porque no sin causa trae la espada, porque es el ministro de Dios, vengador para ejecutar su ira al que hace 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 lo cual es necesario que le seáis sujetos: no solamente por motivo de la ira, mas aun por 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 Porque por esto les pagáis también los tributos; porque son ministros de Dios que sirven a esto mismo.
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 Pagád pues a todos lo que debéis: al que tributo, tributo: al que impuesto, impuesto: al que temor, temor: 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 No debáis a nadie nada, sino que os améis unos a otros; porque el que ama al prójimo, cumplió 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 esto: No adulterarás: no matarás: no hurtarás: no dirás falso testimonio: no codiciarás; y si hay algún otro mandamiento, en esta palabra se comprende sumariamente: 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 amor no hace mal al prójimo, así que el amor es el cumplimiento de 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 Y esto, conociendo el tiempo, que es ya hora de levantarnos del sueño; porque ahora nos esta más cerca nuestra salvación, que cuando creíamos.
[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 ya pasa, y el día va llegando: desechemos pues las obras de las tinieblas, y vistámonos las armas de 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 Andemos honestamente, como de día: no en glotonerías y borracheras, no en lechos y disoluciones, no en pendencias 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 Mas vestíos del Señor Jesu Cristo; y no penséis en la carne para cumplir sus deseos.
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.
