Romans 12:9–13:8

⁹Love must be completely sincere. Hate what is evil, hold on to what is good. ¹⁰Love one another warmly as Christian brothers and sisters, and be eager to show respect for one another. ¹¹Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion. ¹²Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times. ¹³Share your belongings with your needy fellow-Christians, and open your homes to strangers.

^14*Ask God to bless those who persecute you—yes, ask him to bless, not to curse. ¹⁵Be happy with those who are happy, weep with those who weep. ^16*Have the same concern for everyone. Do not be proud, but accept humble duties.^r Do not think of yourselves as wise.

¹⁷If someone has done you wrong, do not repay him with a wrong. Try to do what everyone considers to be good. ¹⁸Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody. ^19*Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God’s anger do it. For the scripture says, “I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord.” ^20*Instead, as the scripture says: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink; for by doing this you will make them burn with shame.” ²¹Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good.

Duties towards the State Authorities

13Everyone must obey the state authorities, because no authority exists without God’s permission, and the existing authorities have been put there by God. ²Whoever opposes the existing authority opposes what God has ordered; and anyone who does so will bring judgement on himself. ³For rulers are not to be feared by those who do good, but by those who do evil. Would you like to be unafraid of those in authority? Then do what is good, and they will praise you, ⁴because they are God’s servants working for your own good. But if you do evil, then be afraid of them, because their power to punish is real. They are God’s servants and carry out God’s punishment on those who do evil. ⁵For this reason you must obey the authorities—not just because of God’s punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.

^6*That is also why you pay taxes, because the authorities are working for God when they fulfil their duties. ^7*Pay, then, what you owe them; pay them your personal and property taxes, and show respect and honour for them all.

Duties towards One Another

⁸Be under obligation to no one—the only obligation you have is to love one another. Whoever does this has obeyed the Law.