Romans 13

1 Everyone should obey government authorities, because no one has the power to rule unless God gives permission. These authorities have been put there by God.

Let everyone obey the supreme authorities. For no authority exists except by the will of God, and the existing authorities have been appointed by God.

2 Whoever resists the authorities opposes what God has put in place, and those who do so shall find themselves judged accordingly.

Therefore the one who sets themself against the authorities is resisting God’s appointment, and those who resist will bring a judgment on themselves.

3 For rulers don't frighten those who do right, but those who do wrong. If you don't want to live in fear of the authorities, then do what is right, and you'll have their approval.

A good action has nothing to fear from rulers; a bad action has. Do you want to have no reason to fear the authorities? Then do what is good, and you will win their praise.

4 Those in power are God's servants, put there for your own good. If you do wrong, you should be frightened—it's not without reason that authorities have the power to punish! They are God's servants, punishing offenders.

For they are God’s servants appointed for your good. But, if you do what is wrong, you may well be afraid; for the sword they carry is not without meaning! They are God’s servants to inflict his punishments on those who do wrong.

5 So it's important to do as you're told, not just because of the threat of punishment, but because of what your conscience tells you.

You are bound, therefore, to obey, not only through fear of God’s punishments, but also as a matter of conscience.

6 That's why you have to pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants taking care of such things.

This, too, is the reason for your paying taxes; for the officials are God’s officers, devoting themselves to this special work.

7 Pay whatever you owe: taxes to the tax authorities, fees to the fee-collectors; give respect to those who should be respected, honor those who should be honored.

In all cases pay what is due from you – tribute where tribute is due, taxes where taxes are due, respect where respect is due, and honor where honor is due.

8 Don't owe anybody anything, except love for one another—for those who love their neighbor have kept the law.

Owe nothing to anyone except love; for they who love their neighbor have satisfied the Law.

9 “You must not commit adultery, you must not kill, you must not steal, you must not jealously want things for yourself”—these and the other commandments are summed up in the statement, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

The commandments, ‘You must not commit adultery, you must not kill, you must not steal, you must not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there is, are all summed up in the words – ‘You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.’

10 Love doesn't do wrong to anyone, so love fulfils the law.

Love never wrongs a neighbor. Therefore love fully satisfies the Law.

11 You should do this because you realize how urgent the time is—that it's high time for you to wake up from your sleep. For salvation is closer to us now than when we first put our trust in God.

This I say, because you know the crisis that we have reached, for the time has already come for you to rouse yourselves from sleep; our salvation is nearer now than when we accepted the faith.

12 The night is nearly over, the day is almost here! So let's get rid of our dark deeds and put on the armor of light.

The night is almost gone; the day is near. Therefore let us be done with the deeds of darkness, and arm ourselves with the weapons of light.

13 Let's behave properly, showing that we're people who are living in the light. We shouldn't spend our time going to wild parties and getting drunk, or having affairs and acting immorally, or getting into fights and being jealous.

Being in the light of day, let us live becomingly, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lust and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.

14 Instead put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and forget about following your sinful desires.

No! Arm yourselves with the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, and spend no thought on your earthly nature, to satisfy its cravings.