Romans 13

1 Let every individual be obedient to those who rule over him; for no one is a ruler except by God's permission, and our present rulers have had their rank and power assigned to them by Him.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

2 Therefore the man who rebels against his ruler is resisting God's will; and those who thus resist will bring punishment upon themselves.

Therefore he who resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment.

3 For judges and magistrates are to be feared not by right-doers but by wrong-doers. You desire--do you not? --to have no reason to fear your ruler. Well, do the thing that is right, and then he will commend you.

For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the same,

4 For he is God's servant for your benefit. But if you do what is wrong, be afraid. He does not wear the sword to no purpose: he is God's servant--an administrator to inflict punishment upon evil-doers.

for it is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God's servant to administer retribution on those who do what is wrong.

5 We must obey therefore, not only in order to escape punishment, but also for conscience' sake.

Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of this retribution, but also as a matter of conscience.

6 Why, this is really the reason you pay taxes; for tax-gatherers are ministers of God, devoting their energies to this very work.

For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God, concerned with this very thing.

7 Pay promptly to all men what is due to them: taxes to those to whom taxes are due, toll to those to whom toll is due, respect to those to whom respect is due, honour to those to whom honour is due.

Give therefore to everyone what you owe: taxes to whom taxes are due; customs to whom customs; respect to whom respect; honor to whom honor.

8 Owe nothing to any one except mutual love; for he who loves his fellow man has satisfied the demands of Law.

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

9 For the precepts, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," "Thou shalt do no murder," "Thou shalt not steal," "Thou shalt not covet," and all other precepts, are summed up in this one command, "Thou shalt love thy fellow man as much as thou lovest thyself."

For the commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not give false testimony," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You are to love your neighbor as yourself."

10 Love avoids doing any wrong to one's fellow man, and is therefore complete obedience to Law.

Love does not harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

11 Carry out these injunctions because you know the critical period at which we are living, and that it is now high time, to rouse yourselves from sleep; for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first became believers.

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed.

12 The night is far advanced, and day is about to dawn. We must therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness, and clothe ourselves with the armour of Light.

The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let us therefore throw off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

13 Living as we do in broad daylight, let us conduct ourselves becomingly, not indulging in revelry and drunkenness, nor in lust and debauchery, nor in quarrelling and jealousy.

Let us walk decently, as in the daytime; not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and lustful acts, and not in dissension and jealousy.

14 On the contrary, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for gratifying your earthly cravings.

But put on the Lord Yeshua Meshikha, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.