Rom 13

1 Hinglu boeih loh saithainah neh a tanglue soah boengai saeh. Pathen lamlong pawt koinih saithainah te om mahpawh. Te rhoek tah Pathen loh a phueng tih a nuen rhoek ni.

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 Te dongah saithainah aka khueh te aka pakai tah Pathen kah hoihaengnah ni a kamkaih. Aka kamkaih rhoek long khaw amamih ni laitloeknah a yook eh.

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 Boe then hamla boei rhoek te rhihnah om pawt dae boethae ham tah om. Saithainah aka khueh te rhih na ngaih pawt atah a then te na saii vetih anih kah thangthennah na dang ni.

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 Pathen kah tueihyoeih tah nang ham a then la om. Tedae thae na saii atah rhih pai. Pathen kah tueihyoeih la a om dongah cunghang te pom yoe mahpawh. Thae aka saii te kosi neh a thuung ni.

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 Te dongah kosi dongah bueng pawt tih mingcimnah nen khaw boengai ham a kueknah om.

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 He dongah mangmu khaw na thoh uh. Pathen kah bibikung rhoek tah te te aka khuituk la om uh.

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 Docanah te boeih thuung. mangmu te mangmu la, lamkhong te lamkhong la pae, rhihnah tueng te rhihnah, hinyahnah tueng te hinyahnah khueh.

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 Khat neh khat te lungnah pawt atah laiba loeng loeng boeh. Hlang tloe aka lungnah long ni olkhueng te a soep sak.

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 Te long te samphaih boeh, hlang ngawn boeh, huencan boeh, nai boeh a ti. Tedae mebang a tloe olpaek khaw he olka ah cuii coeng. Te khuiah, “Na imben te namah bangla lungnah,” a ti.

[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 Lungnah loh imben te a thae la a saii pawt dongah lungnah tah olkhueng a soepnah ni.

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 Te phoeiah a tue he ming uh. Ih kung lamloh na thoh ham tue coeng ni. N'tangnah vaengkah lakah khangnah loh mamih m'phatawt coeng.

[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 Khoyin loh puh tih khothaih tah yoei coeng. Te dongah yinnah khuikah khoboe te duul uh sih lamtah vangnah kah pumcumnah te bai uh sih.

[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 Khothaih vaengkah bangla tluek tluek cet uh sih. Omngaihlawnnah neh rhuihahnah nen moenih, ihnah neh omthenbawn nen moenih, tohhaemnah neh kohlopnah nen moenih.

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 Tedae Boeipa Jesuh Khrih te bai uh lamtah khokhannah te pumsa kah hoehhamnah ham saii boeh.

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.