Romans (Rom) 13
13
1Everyone is to obey the governing authorities. For there is no authority that is not from God, and the existing authorities have been placed where they are by God. 2Therefore, whoever resists the authorities is resisting what God has instituted; and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers are no terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you like to be unafraid of the person in authority? Then simply do what is good, and you will win his approval; 4for he is God’s servant, there for your benefit. But if you do what is wrong, be afraid! Because it is not for nothing that he holds the power of the sword; for he is God’s servant, there as an avenger to punish wrongdoers. 5Another reason to obey, besides fear of punishment, is for the sake of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes; for the authorities are God’s public officials, constantly attending to these duties. 7Pay everyone what he is owed: if you owe the tax-collector, pay your taxes; if you owe the revenue-collector, pay revenue; if you owe someone respect, pay him respect; if you owe someone honor, pay him honor. 8Don’t owe anyone anything — except to love one another; for whoever loves his fellow human being has fulfilled Torah. 9For the commandments, “Don’t commit adultery,” “Don’t murder,” “Don’t steal,” “Don’t covet,” and any others are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10Love does not do harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fullness of Torah.
11Besides all this, you know at what point of history we stand; so it is high time for you to rouse yourselves from sleep; for the final deliverance is nearer than when we first came to trust. 12The night is almost over, the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and arm ourselves with the weapons of light. 13Let us live properly, as people do in the daytime — not partying and getting drunk, not engaging in sexual immorality and other excesses, not quarrelling and being jealous. 14Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Yeshua the Messiah; and don’t waste your time thinking about how to provide for the sinful desires of your old nature.
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13
Christians Should Obey the Law
1All of you must yield to the government rulers. No one rules unless God has given him the power to rule, and no one rules now without that power from God. 2So those who are against the government are really against what God has commanded. And they will bring punishment on themselves. 3Those who do right do not have to fear the rulers; only those who do wrong fear them. Do you want to be unafraid of the rulers? Then do what is right, and they will praise you. 4The ruler is God’s servant to help you. But if you do wrong, then be afraid. He has the power to punish; he is God’s servant to punish those who do wrong. 5So you must yield to the government, not only because you might be punished, but because you know it is right.
6This is also why you pay taxes. Rulers are working for God and give their time to their work. 7Pay everyone, then, what you owe. If you owe any kind of tax, pay it. Show respect and honor to them all.
Loving Others
8Do not owe people anything, except always owe love to each other, because the person who loves others has obeyed all the law. 9The law says, “You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not murder anyone. You must not steal. You must not want to take your neighbor’s things.” All these commands and all others are really only one rule: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 10Love never hurts a neighbor, so loving is obeying all the law.
11Do this because we live in an important time. It is now time for you to wake up from your sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12The “night” is almost finished, and the “day” is almost here. So we should stop doing things that belong to darkness and take up the weapons used for fighting in the light. 13Let us live in a right way, like people who belong to the day. We should not have wild parties or get drunk. There should be no sexual sins of any kind, no fighting or jealousy. 14But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and forget about satisfying your sinful self.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.