13Let everyone submit to the governing authorities,^ao since there is no authority except from God,^ap and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. ²So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. ³For rulers are not a terror^aq to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. ⁴For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger^ar that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. ⁵Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath but also because of your conscience.^as ⁶And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants, continually attending to these tasks.^E ⁷Pay your obligations^at to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes,^au tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect,^av and honor to those you owe honor.

LOVE, OUR PRIMARY DUTY

⁸Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.^aw ⁹The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal;^F do not covet;^G^ax and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself.^H^ay ¹⁰Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.

PUT ON CHRIST

¹¹Besides this, since you know the time, it is already the hour^az for you^A to wake up from sleep,^ba because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.^bb ¹²The night is nearly over, and the day is near;^bc so let us discard the deeds of darkness^bd and put on the armor of light.^be ¹³Let us walk with decency,^bf as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness;^a not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,^b and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.^c

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Footnotes

E to this very thing
FOther add do not bear false witness
AOther read for us

Cross references

ao Ti 3:1; 1Pt 2:13
ap Dn 2:21; 4:17; Jn 19:1
aq 1Pt 2:14
ar 1Th 4:6
as 1Pt 2:13,19
at Mt 22:21
au Lk 20:22; 23:2
av Mt 17:25
aw Mt 7:12; 22:39; Jn 13:34; Rm 12:10; Gl 5:14; Jms 2:8
G Ex 20:13–17; Dt 5:17–21
ax Ex 20:13–17; Dt 5:17–21
H Lv 19:18
ay Lv 19:18; Mt 19:19
az 1Co 7:29; 10:11; Jms 5:8; 1Pt 4:7; 2Pt 3:9,11; 1Jn 2:18; Rv 1:3; 22:10
ba Mk 13:37; 1Co 15:34; Eph 5:14; 1Th 5:6
bb Ac 19:2; 1Co 3:5; 15:2
bc Heb 10:25; 1Jn 2:8; Rv 1:3; 22:10
bd Eph 5:11
be 2Co 6:7; 10:4; Eph 6:11,13; 1Th 5:8
bf 1Th 4:12
a Lk 21:34; Gl 5:21; Eph 5:18; 1Pt 4:3
b Jb 29:14; Gl 3:27; Eph 4:24; Col 3:10,12
c Gl 5:16; 1Pt 2:11