Romans 13

CHAPTER 13

Be Subject to Government

¹Every ^1aperson is to be in ^bsubjection to the governing authorities. For ^cthere is no authority except ²from God, and those which exist have been appointed by God.

²Therefore ¹whoever resists that authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

³For ^arulers are not a cause of fear for ¹good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of that authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same;

⁴for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword in vain, for it is a minister of God, an ^aavenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.

⁵Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of that wrath, but also because of ^aconscience.

⁶For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.

^7aRender to all what is due them: ^btax to whom tax is due; ^ccustom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

⁸Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for ^ahe who loves ¹his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

⁹For this, “^aYou shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, “^bYou shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

¹⁰Love does not work evil against a neighbor; therefore ^alove is the fulfillment of the Law.

¹¹And do this, knowing the time, that it is ^aalready the hour for you to ^bawaken from sleep; for now ¹salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.

^12aThe night is almost gone, and ^bthe day is at hand. Therefore let us lay aside ^cthe deeds of darkness and put on ^dthe armor of light.

¹³Let us ^awalk properly as in the day, ^bnot in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.

¹⁴But ^aput on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh ^bin regard to its lusts.