Ròm 13

1 Tout moun dwe soumèt devan otorite k'ap gouvènen peyi a, paske nanpwen otorite ki pa soti nan men Bondye, epi tout otorite ki la, se Bondye ki mete yo.

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 Se poutèt sa, moun k'ap kenbe tèt ak otorite yo, yo refize obeyi lòd Bondye tabli. Moun ki refize obeyi lòd la, y'ap rale yon jijman sou tèt pa yo.

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 Tande byen: moun ki fè sa ki byen pa bezwen pè chèf k'ap gouvènen yo. Se moun ki fè sa ki mal ki pou pè yo. Eske ou ta vle pa pè chèf? Enben, fè sa ki byen; se lwanj ase wa resevwa nan men yo.

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 Paske chèf yo se nan sèvis Bondye yo ye pou byen nou. Men, si w'ap fè sa ki mal, ou mèt tranble, paske se pa pou gremesi yo gen pouvwa peni moun. Lè sa a, se sèvis Bondye y'ap fè tou. Y'ap fè nou wè kòlè Bondye lè y'ap peni moun ki fè sa ki mal.

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 Se poutèt sa, nou dwe soumèt devan tout otorite yo, pa sèlman paske nou vle chape anba kòlè Bondye, men tou pou konsyans nou pa repwoche nou anyen.

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 Se poutèt sa tou, nou peye lajan kontribisyon yo, paske anplwaye leta yo se nan sèvis Bondye yo ye, se pou yo fè travay la byen.

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 Peye tout moun sa ou dwe yo: peye enpo nan biwo kote pou ou peye enpo; peye taks nan biwo kote pou ou peye taks. Gen krentif pou moun ou dwe gen krentif. Gen respè pou moun ou dwe respekte.

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 Pa fè dèt lakay pesonn. Sèl dèt nou dwe genyen, se pou nou yonn renmen lòt. Moun ki renmen frè parèy li, li fè tou sa lalwa mande.

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 Se konsa, ou wè kòmandman sa yo: piga ou janm fè adiltè; piga ou janm touye moun; piga ou janm vòlò; piga ou janm pote lanvi sou sak pa pou ou; kòmandman sa yo ansanm ak tout lòt yo, gen yon sèl pawòl ki ranmase yo tout: se pou ou renmen frè parèy ou tankou ou renmen pwòp tèt pa ou.

[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 Moun ki gen renmen nan kè yo pa fè moun mal: se sak fè lè nou renmen, nou fè tou sa lalwa a mande nou fè.

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 Se sa menm pou nou fè, paske nou konnen ki jan tan an ye deyò a. Li lè pou nou leve soti nan dòmi, lè a sonnen, paske koulye a, lè pou n' fin delivre a pi pre nou pase lè nou te fèk mete konfyans lan.

[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 Nwit lan vanse fini, jou prèt pou kase. Ann sispann fè bagay yo fè nan fènwa. Ann pran zam nou pou nou ka goumen devan tout moun.

[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 Ann mennen bak nou jan nou dwe, tankou moun k'ap viv gwo lajounen. Pa fè eksè nan manje ni nan bwè. Pa lage tèt nou nan debòch ni nan vis. Pa chache moun kont, pa fè jalouzi.

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 Se pou nou pran Jezikri Seyè a tankou yon zam mete sou nou. Pa kite ekzijans kò a pran pye sou nou pou fè nou fè tou sa li anvi fè.

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.