Romans 13

1 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}.

Iedereen moet onderworpen zijn aan het hogere gezag; want alle gezag komt van God, en ook het thans bestaande gezag is verordend door God.

2 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].

Wie zich dus verzet tegen het gezag, verzet zich tegen de verordening van God; en de weerspannigen zullen hun veroordeling krijgen.

3 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!]

Want de overheid is niet te duchten bij een goed, maar wel bij een slecht gedrag. Wilt ge dus niets te vrezen hebben van het gezag? Gedraag u dan behoorlijk, en ge zult zijn goedkeuring verwerven:

4 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.

want het is een dienaar van God tot uw eigen welzijn. Maar ge moet vrezen, wanneer ge u onbehoorlijk gedraagt; want het voert het zwaard niet voor niets; want als dienaar van God is het met de bestraffing van den misdadiger belast.

5 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]

Het is dus noodzakelijk, dat men zich onderwerpt; niet alleen om de straf, maar ook uit plichtsbesef.

6 It is for this reason that you also pay taxes, because the officials are ones who serve God as they continually do their work.

Om dezelfde reden ook moet gij de belasting betalen; want de is beambte van God, en is voortdurend in beslag genomen door haar taak.

7 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.

Geeft dus aan allen wat hun toekomt; belasting aan wien gij belasting, tol aan wien gij tol, ontzag aan wien gij ontzag, eer aan wien gij eer zijt verschuldigd.

8 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.

Blijft niemand iets schuldig dan wederkerige liefde. Want hij die zijn naaste bemint, heeft de Wet vervuld.

9 [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.

Immers het gebod: "Ge zult geen overspel bedrijven, ge zult niet doodslaan, ge zult niet stelen, ge zult niet begeren," en alle andere geboden zijn samengevat in dit éne: "Ge zult den naaste liefhebben als uzelf."

10 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].

De liefde berokkent den naaste geen kwaad; de liefde volbrengt dus de ganse Wet.

11 [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].

Bovendien, gij weet, dat het tijd is, en dat het uur is geslagen, om op te staan uit de slaap; want thans is het heil ons meer nabij, dan toen we het geloof hebben omhelsd.

12 [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].

De nacht is ver gevorderd, de dag breekt aan. Laat ons dus afleggen de werken der duisternis, en ons omgorden met de wapenen van het licht.

13 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].

Laat ons dus onberispelijk leven, zoals we dit doen op klaarlichte dag; niet in brasserij en dronkenschap, niet in ontucht en losbandigheid, niet in twist en ijverzucht.

14 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.

Maar omkleedt u met den Heer Jesus Christus, en vertroetelt het vlees niet tot begeerlijkheid.